Referees’ Performances | 2024/2025

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

FIFA resisted calls for VAR for years. It was pressure from clubs, fans and the media that eventually made them relent.

The current version of VAR is not what fans wanted.

What we want is to be able to say is, without doubt the correct decision was reached in a timely manner, and we want it to be consistent, not just match-to-mach, but for each team in the same game.

Currently we have a lot of games we can't say any single one of those things.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Is that correct ? I don't recall speaking to one single football fan who wanted the intervention before it was brought in,...and before Var ...the stockley park link up to the onfield ref was not something I ever heard demanded by any football fan....this of course was the forerunner of Var....and involved the infamous Anthony Taylor incident city v Chelsea when he failed to send off a Chelsea defender for a blatant red card offence on Sergio ...racing across the pitch to issue a red,then stopping to listen into his ear peice ,and subsequently deciding to show a yellow....a decision which reduced my appetite for attending matches in person.
And ..if you are correct ,I'd imagine most football fans now don't want the current system,yet it's here to stay,.

Ever since referee's have been mic'd up there have been off field influences effecting the outcome of games on a regular basis.

 

[East Level 2]

Could be fixed with a simple clarification of the use of VAR for offside - they get 10 seconds to check. If it's a clear and obvious error, you'll see it immediately. If you can't decide within 10 seconds it's not clear and obvious so the on field decision stands.

Its crap if you're watching it on TV but when you're in a stadium it's a joke. Surely no one wants what they've currently created.

The semi-automated offside system introduced recently has reduced the offside decision time significantly, however there is no way to automate the "interfering with play" element of the law.

 

[hello]

The semi-automated offside system introduced recently has reduced the offside decision time significantly, however there is no way to automate the "interfering with play" element of the law.

But even the semi automated offside makes claims contrary to the laws of physics. At 50fps or even 100fps they simply can't determine to the fleas pube they claim when the players are moving often in opposing directions.

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

VAR was brought in to stop obvious things like the hand of god or lampards non goal. That's what we all wanted.

VAR was not supposed to take over.

 

[deano ou812]

VAR was brought in to stop obvious things like the hand of god or lampards non goal. That's what we all wanted.

VAR was not supposed to take over.

Correct,it’s re-reffing games and what is worse for me is one incident in a game is a pen or red card and the exact same in another game is not,also why do we have different rules interpretations of VAR in England,Spain,Italy and Germany and also champions league one set of rules or interpretations,like rugby union..

 

[the-ecstacy-of-eight]

FIFA resisted calls for VAR for years. It was pressure from clubs, fans and the media that eventually made them relent.

Maybe true, but what "we" asked for and what "we" got were two totally disparate things and whilst they may well have buckled under pressure and allowed the introduction of VAR, it was on their terms not ours.

You only have to look at PGMOL's insistence on their own implementation of the "factual offside" nonsense along with their "clear and obvious" tagline (for pretty much everything else) to see what their plan was/is, as it wasn't/isn't/has never been about making the "correct" decision.

 

[Norbiton]

Is that correct ? I don't recall speaking to one single football fan who wanted the intervention before it was brought in,...and before Var ...the stockley park link up to the onfield ref was not something I ever heard demanded by any football fan....this of course was the forerunner of Var....and involved the infamous Anthony Taylor incident city v Chelsea when he failed to send off a Chelsea defender for a blatant red card offence on Sergio ...racing across the pitch to issue a red,then stopping to listen into his ear peice ,and subsequently deciding to show a yellow....a decision which reduced my appetite for attending matches in person.
And ..if you are correct ,I'd imagine most football fans now don't want the current system,yet it's here to stay,.

You could kind of understand it if Taylor had shown a yellow. He waved play on to the bemusement of both sides who had stopped playing.

 

[Stephen230]

Maybe true, but what "we" asked for and what "we" got were two totally disparate things and whilst they may well have buckled under pressure and allowed the introduction of VAR, it was on their terms not ours.

You only have to look at PGMOL's insistence on their own implementation of the "factual offside" nonsense along with their "clear and obvious" tagline (for pretty much everything else) to see what their plan was/is, as it wasn't/isn't/has never been about making the "correct" decision.

I’m not here to defend the way VAR has gone. I’ve said before that despite being accused of being a VAR sympathiser and even accused of working for PGMOL by one loon. If I was to wake up tomorrow and the whole thing had been abandoned, I’d be quite happy with that.

My input here was just to point out that VAR wasn’t created by FIFA to gain ‘control’ as was suggested. They resisted calls for it for many years. Mainly on the grounds that it would inevitably lead to a two tier set of laws of the game between professional and amateur football.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

Biggest issue I had with him was him standing directly in the path of where we wanted to pass to numerous times.

He was as good a defensive midfielder as they had.

That reminds me of the David Silva days ....some refs tried to shadow Silva throughout matches
It was so obvious ,in fact Iirc Silva threw his arms upin frustration as one ref repeatedly stood in the way of his passing lines....and yet ,these same refs used to be reluctant to take action when DS ankles were kicked to bits time and time again. I actually think Silva was one of the bravest players I ever saw play the game ,he never shirked a challenge and despite being clearly hurt on his weak ankle time and again, always got up and carried on playing .

Edit. Apart from arsenal at Wembley fa cup semi final,a game I didn't actually see
When the Arsenal team literally butchered Silva,kicking and stamping on his ankle throughout the match was what i was told
To the point where he had to leave the field of play injured. Some referee let that happen that day.it was a disgrace.but it was allowed to happen.still angry about it now.a ref let classy arsenal kick one of the best players in the world off the park.it was a disgrace.
Snidey north London filth.

 

[the-ecstacy-of-eight]

I’m not here to defend the way VAR has gone. I’ve said before that despite being accused of being a VAR sympathiser and even accused of working for PGMOL by one loon. If I was to wake up tomorrow and the whole thing had been abandoned, I’d be quite happy with that.

My input here was just to point out that VAR wasn’t created by FIFA to gain ‘control’ as was suggested. They resisted calls for it for many years. Mainly on the grounds that it would inevitably lead to a two tier set of laws of the game between professional and amateur football.

No problems.

I wasn't really having a go at you, more just pointing out the clear link (IMO) between their resistance to implement it and the way it's been implemented.

I'd say that illustrates the control (and bias) they already had and didn't wish to relinquish
(it's hard to create something which already existed;)

 

[halfcenturyup]

The semi-automated offside system introduced recently has reduced the offside decision time significantly, however there is no way to automate the "interfering with play" element of the law.

Here are a couple of questions for all you SAOT fans.

Firstly, there is a 5cm tolerance built into the PL SAOT. Has anyone ever seen that shown graphically when SAOT shows the offsides? There may have been, but I haven't seen one. Which means the graphics don't actually represent reality, they just show whichever outcome is needed. One of the players must have been "moved". Which for a decision of "fact" is pretty poor. If they can do that for tolerance, what else are they up to?

Secondly, the PL system is supposedly the most sophisticated and accurate SAOT out there. If that system needs a tolerance, what does that say for the supposedly less accurate UEFA and FIFA systems and all the "toenail" decisions given since they were implemented, some of which were match-changing?

 

[halfcenturyup]

But even the semi automated offside makes claims contrary to the laws of physics. At 50fps or even 100fps they simply can't determine to the fleas pube they claim when the players are moving often in opposing directions.

They claim they can accurately interpolate between frames, but I would like to see the mechanism for interpolating dynamic, accelerating or decelerating, three-dimensional movements of multiple players.

 

[blueju]

Ref out of his depth today in what should have been a relatively easy game to ref. The most blatant of yellow cards not given for delaying a restart, there can be no explanation as to why it wasn’t given but yet again the club won’t say anything. I would have be3n on the phone to Howard Webb at half time asking why. May have been soft the laws of the game are there for a reason. Same goes for not booking Ramsdale for continuously taking 20 seconds before releasing the ball instead of six and thirty seconds over every goal kick. Yellow card in the first half stops it all.

They know all about Ramsdale, if they really wanted to stop him they’d have already done it.

 

[East Level 2]

Here are a couple of questions for all you SAOT fans.

Firstly, there is a 5cm tolerance built into the PL SAOT. Has anyone ever seen that shown graphically when SAOT shows the offsides? There may have been, but I haven't seen one. Which means the graphics don't actually represent reality, they just show whichever outcome is needed. One of the players must have been "moved". Which for a decision of "fact" is pretty poor. If they can do that for tolerance, what else are they up to?

Secondly, the PL system is supposedly the most sophisticated and accurate SAOT out there. If that system needs a tolerance, what does that say for the supposedly less accurate UEFA and FIFA systems and all the "toenail" decisions given since they were implemented, some of which were match-changing?

I'm not sure about tolerances but I believe SAOT is claimed to be more accurate than the old draw lines and guess method. However its biggest selling point was that its significantly quicker.

 

[halfcenturyup]

I'm not sure about tolerances but I believe SAOT is claimed to be more accurate than the old draw lines and guess method. However its biggest selling point was that its significantly quicker.

Leaving it with the linesmen is much, much quicker ......

:)

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

They claim they can accurately interpolate between frames, but I would like to see the mechanism for interpolating dynamic, accelerating or decelerating, three-dimensional movements of multiple players.

It's still only an estimation with a fudge factor.

 

[Norbiton]

Leaving it with the linesmen is much, much quicker ......

:)

And avoids serious injuries like the Forest player just suffered trying to score a goal that would have been ruled out for a very clear offside. Not the assistant’s fault for not raising the flag, she was following the guidance.

 

[Kippax77]

A bent ref on duty in a rags cup final.

I need to sit down

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

A bent ref on duty in a rags cup final.

I need to sit down