Technology in football

[SteveO 35]

A great day yesterday for all Gooners.....but sadly another shit day for refereeing. How on earth could Atkinson miss that disgusting tackle by Balotelli ? This weekend has seen that awful decision (or lack of) straight on the back of the Chavs two offisde goals that could end up relegating Wigan, and the game killer at Old Trafford yesterday when Young was a good yard offside before the sending off

I remember the cry for 'professional referees' a few years which was seen in some quarters as being the catalyst for improved decision making, but I don't think the standard is any better now than it was previously. They've also added these officials behind the goal in the European games but I'm not convinced that has helped much either

I've never been one for constant usage of technology in football because I don't think the free flowing nature of the sport allows it in the same way as tennis or cricket which are always held up as examples of where it is used successfully.

However, I've thought for some time it needs to be there for the goal-line decision i.e. was a goal scored or not, as its the single most important aspect of the game and shouldn't be left to chance. However, I'm now also of the view that if a goal is scored or a penalty is awarded then a team should have the ability to refer the decision 'upstairs'. The game has already stopped naturally anyway so why not?

Goals like the one Ivanovic scored on Saturday, and mistakes like the one made at Old Trafford should not be allowed to continue. Yes, referees are human, but FFS its 2012 - how much longer can we carry on without some sort of intervention. I understand that trials for the goal-line technology are going to be introduced but should it go further still?

[olgitgooner]

Put a retired referee in the commentary box alongside all the slow motion video.
The ref can call him for judgement advice (same as a lino) if he chooses to.

[donaldo]

In a sport with billions of pounds swimming around in it Football has been left behind by other sports(ie tennis and cricket)
I heard someone say if they brought technology into football the game would last 3 hours.Who cares? if it means the right team wins and hasnt been cheated hasnt that got to be a good thing.
The most stupid statement ever is decicions even themselves out over the season.Thats bollox

[SteveO 35]

In a sport with billions of pounds swimming around in it Football has been left behind by other sports(ie tennis and cricket)
I heard someone say if they brought technology into football the game would last 3 hours.Who cares? if it means the right team wins and hasnt been cheated hasnt that got to be a good thing.
The most stupid statement ever is decicions even themselves out over the season.Thats bollox

And that's such a bollocks statement to start with anyway isn't it? How long would it have taken for a guy sitting in front of a monitor to work out whether Ivanovic or Young were offside.....err about the same 20 seconds it took everyone else watching on TV

If the decisions were only allowed to be reviewed after a natural stoppage - goal, penalty etc - there wouldn't be that many referrals anyway. They could even implement a maximum number of referrals as they do in cricket or tennis. At least that would be a bloody start. Most games wouldn't go on for more than an extra 10 minutes I wouldn't have thought

[Yankee_Gooner_Dandee]

As a fan of American football, basketball, and baseball...i can tell you that everyone here said the exact same things before instant replay was introduced in those sports. "The game will slow down!" "The game will take too long!" "Blah blah blah."

The fact is, it doesn't slow the game down at all. In fact, it speeds it up in some cases, as managers and players arent standing there arguing with officials for 5 mins. The whole point that people who argue against instant replay are missing is that the whole point is to GET THE CORRECT CALL. If it takes a few extra minutes, I'm sure Wigan or QPR wouldn't mind.



What needs to be implemented is something like the NFL has. Each team's managers gets something like 2 challenges at the begining of the game. If the manager feels like there has been a poor decision or indecision then he notifies the 4th official that he wants to use one of his challenges. The 4th official tells the referee that he needs to go review that specific play. Ref stops the game, walks off the pitch to a video booth where he has instant access to a video monitor with all possible camera angles and reviews the play (perhaps with the help of a 5th official in a booth up top). Once he's satisfied, he goes back on the pitch and makes the correct call. The manager is now down to 1 challenge. If the manager uses both of his challenges to correctly over-turn a call, then he gets a 3rd challenge.

So in yeserday's QPR game, Hughes could have used a challenege. Ref walks off and reviews that play to see it was offsides. No red card, no penalty. Game changer. Possible league changer.

The only thing that needs to be carefully discussed is what can and cannot be reviewed. In my opinion, ANY call inside the box should be review-able.

[GranadaJoe]

I agree with tech for 'goal - yes or no' decisions but the referral situation would be difficult in a game where there might not be a natural stoppage for some time (unlike in tennis or American Football).

However, I have very little sympathy for managers (particularly tossers like Mark Hughes) who complain that 'managers are losing respect for referees'. Whose players are falling over at the slightest touch, diving in the box, feigning injury etc etc? Do managers, whose cheating scumbag player has just conned the ref into giving a penalty, discipline his player? Apologise to the ref and the other team? Or does he pat the player on the back?
Managers are only ever upset with bad decisions that go against them. The level of diving, 'simulation', shirt-pulling etc is so rife in the game that refs have an almost impossible job.

[Rosie_titters]

leave it, as it is, take away all the Controversial decisions and the game will become sterile - we all get pissed off, when a decision goes against us

but there's nothing better, than having a good debate and banter with fellow fans over decisions -

[Yankee_Gooner_Dandee]

leave it, as it is, take away all the Controversial decisions and the game will become sterile - we all get pissed off, when a decision goes against us

but there's nothing better, than having a good debate and banter with fellow fans over decisions -

thoughts of liverpool 07 champions league come to mind, and so i disagree with you completely.

[mcdowell42]

leave it, as it is, take away all the Controversial decisions and the game will become sterile - we all get pissed off, when a decision goes against us

but there's nothing better, than having a good debate and banter with fellow fans over decisions -

Thats all well and good ROSIE but these wrong decisions being made by officials affect peoples livelihoods e.g say wigan get relegated by a point because of decisions like at the week end it wont be the players who will lose their jobs it will be backroom staff/admin staff/cleaning staff who will be let go because of loss of revenue.Now obviously you get relegated because of results over a season not down to 1 game but its the 21st century and there has to be technology brought into the game.

[armchair]

Better right and a little slower than wrong and a little quicker

[Rosie_titters]

leave it, as it is, take away all the Controversial decisions and the game will become sterile - we all get pissed off, when a decision goes against us

but there's nothing better, than having a good debate and banter with fellow fans over decisions -

Thats all well and good ROSIE but these wrong decisions being made by officials affect peoples livelihoods e.g say wigan get relegated by a point because of decisions like at the week end it wont be the players who will lose their jobs it will be backroom staff/admin staff/cleaning staff who will be let go because of loss of revenue.Now obviously you get relegated because of results over a season not down to 1 game but its the 21st century and there has to be technology brought into the game.

two questions for ya, who pays for this technology?, and how far do you go down, as far as conference level?

[mcdowell42]

The clubs pay cant be that expensive to hook up technology and how far down the leagues you go ill be honest i dont know.

[SteveO 35]

That's another defence I don't get i.e. "how far down the pyramid do you apply the technology"

Who gives a bloody shit if the Blue Square Premier can't afford to enforce it?

I don't see the village cricket team playing with the Snickometer, Hot Spot and the run-out camera? Nor do I see the local tennis club using Hawkeye.

We are talking about supposedly the richest league in the world and it should be in place at the elite level as it is with other sports.

[Rosie_titters]

The clubs pay cant be that expensive to hook up technology and how far down the leagues you go ill be honest i dont know.

that's the big problem, the lower league level is just as important to fans, staff and financial stability as the PL - and most teams in the PL are in the red, so god know's what the finances in the lower leagues are like, so for me it can never be viable.
Many lower league clubs depend on FA Cup and CC Cup monies and a big money pay day at home to a top PL club can financially make there season, so if they can't afford the technology and then go out of the cup at home to a dodgy ref decision, that could leave them with more financial problems.

i can so only the PL and CL going ahead with this

[Rosie_titters]

That's another defence I don't get i.e. "how far down the pyramid do you apply the technology"

Who gives a bloody shit if the Blue Square Premier can't afford to enforce it?

I don't see the village cricket team playing with the Snickometer, Hot Spot and the run-out camera? Nor do I see the local tennis club using Hawkeye.

We are talking about supposedly the richest league in the world and it should be in place at the elite level as it is with other sports.

you can't just set your own parameter to suit your own club. it has to be across the board, ok the money isn't on the same level as the PL...but it's still the same for all clubs, you can't start making up your own rules