The game is all about not pissing off the wrong people, so refs like Oliver are “No decision” refs.
The way it’s set up is “clear & obvious.” Accordingly, unless he thinks it’s a dead cert, 100%, nailed on decision, he doesn’t make it! The “No decision” is the LEAST CONTROVERSIAL CALL in the game. And, for it to be “wrong,” it has to be:
1) In the box
2) A red card offence
That’s it! Those are the big decisions!
And, he even gets a second chance to have a look IF the VAR is willing to put his neck out and tell Oliver he may have made a mistake, so check it for himself!
He broke the code on how to make onfield calls and use VAR early on, and is rewarded by being one of the English refs for UEFA.
It reminds me of Zinchenko’s handball last week…check to see if it should be a handball and penalty after ref’s “non-call.” VAR Check COULD say it WAS a handball, but the ONLY thing it is really checking us “was it in the box and thus a penalty?” It wasn’t in the box, but WAS a handball, so VAR ignores and the opposition lose a free kick on the edge of the box and Zin escapes a (minimum) yellow card!
VAR is not about correct refereeing, it is about correct BIG DECISIONS!
Same thing in Wolves vs Chelski. Kante’s arm is out, handles and blocks it as last man and player in behind. It’s a red card offence all day long, but ref does the “No decision,” and so unless VAR decides “You’ve made a clear and obvious error, go look for yourself” NOTHING HAPPENS!
And, I think in that game, VAR would have struggled, because TV Camera visibility was very poor!
I think EVERY potential penalty incident should be reviewed pitchside by match official at next deadball.
I think EVERY potential red card decision (whether a yellow is given first or not) should be reviewed pitchside.
I think a timekeeper should keep time, and every onfield stoppage (Free kick, issuing yellow card, injury) should be a stopped clock.
Ref blows whistle, indicates to timekeeper, EVERYONE can see time is stopped.
Corners, goal kicks and throw-ins leave time running, because they’re often taken quickly, but crackdown on time wasting.
Ref should be miked and all official game time communication is available to club benches in real time.
NFL refs have to make penalty calls TO THE ENTIRE CROWD VIA PA, so there’s no reason a PL ref couldn’t do the same on the big screen for fans! And, you’d see the quickest big screen installations in history at The Swamp and Klanfield! Still amazes me that they are not FORCED to have VAR screens installed! Coincidence???? Richest clubs with most istree but VAR waiver!?!?!?!
It all comes down to game is bent and refs are shit, with a few exceptions. Tbf to refs, the game is passing them by, too. They’re getting older as the game is getting quicker and more technical.
As an ex-player, I think you know the things that really piss you off in the game, but refs pick up on minutae no one cares about, or are persnickety about nothing then let things that help rile players up and create onfield hostility go without a word. They don’t seem to put the game into the PLAYERS perspective, only their own.
