Anyone at the games last night remember the incident with Vassell(think it was vassell?) he made a run to recieve a ball but was nowhere near it and the lino flagged offside? Just watching spurs, how was the their player not offside at the free kick? he was interfering with play? Vassell wasn't but was flagged
I'm not a referee but the offside used to be complicated until it was made even more complicated. I can't remember specifically the incident you're talking about but its all about phases of play and being active and gaining advantages etc. Here is the official line: "It is when, in the refereeâs opinion, at the moment the ball is played or touches one of his team, a player is either interfering with play or an opponent, or gaining an advantage by being in that position. Interfering with play means playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a team-mate. Interfering with an opponent means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponentâs line of vision or movements or making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent. Gaining an advantage by being in that position means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a goal-post or the crossbar having been in an offside position or playing the ball that rebounds to him off an opponent having been in an offside position." So unless he was obstructing someone else, he shouldn't have been offside as he didn't touch the ball or gain any advantage.
Guess that answers my question then!? How was walker not offside tonight? he was in line of goal keepers vision and moved at last minute. And why was Vassell offside last night then? he was nowhere near the ball?
If that's the case then I'm pretty sure the linesman's just got it wrong, that would definitely be offside
Not sure, I'd like to see goal line technology but offsides are more complicated. In what situation do you ask the 4th official? Everytime someone appeals? If the referee puts his flag up and the offending team complains do they have to look at it then? I don't watch a lot of rugger so I'm not sure about the ins and outs and how they cope with these questions. Maybe there could be a 5th official who's only job is to watch the match on a screen, and to intervene if they feel the referee has got a big decision wrong?
It's only surely a matter of time before we see goal line technology brought in. For me that is as far as it should go. In Rugby, Cricket etc. there are more natural stoppages where more replays can be used but Football is a game that ebbs and flows and there are few natural stoppages and I think too much technology could damage that. And, at the end of the day, things like off side and penalties are matter of opinion. For instance, look at the debate and the diversity of opinions after the Birmingham game on the two penalty shouts and it's just one person's opinion (the ref) that counts. Of course they will get some wrong but I can accept that. The one thing that I think is stopping technology is how to restart the games. For example, if someone had a shot that they claimed crossed the line but wasn't given, and the other team goes on the counter but the game is stopped to check. The video proves that the ref was right and it didn't cross the line. Then how do you restart the game?
5th Official is not a bad shout, it is difficult to stop start in a game that is flowing and end to end, this is what teams sometimes do to slow a game down to take the momentum from the attacking side, although it is wrong, maybe the 5th would sort this out? they would bring play back to the offence that was commited, but also we have to take into account the thousands of opinions that these 5th offs. would have? it is bad enough now with one in the middle and the thousands of laurel and hardys running the lines!
Yeh that's what I was thinking, checking videos might make the game very stop start but if someone was continually watching it and only acted when necessary I think it would be quite effective. The important thing is though that the game should not be brought back 30 seconds to give a penalty for example, decisions need to be almost instant and I think it's this issue with time that clouds the whole argument of video replays, it shouldn't be stop start nor should there be a lengthy delay before decisions are made. TBH the referee should be able to get on with his job the same as before 95% of the time, I hope that if technology was implemented it would only be used sparingly when really necessary. The last thing we want is the game being stopped to determine who's throw it should be!
Agreed! But training of officials needs to be increased? Some decisions and interpretations are shocking?
Yes well...that's a whole other problem! I think it's asking a bit much for referees to do their job properly
What, like that ridiculous sending off for Fulham last night? I hope UEFA take a retrospective look at the incident, and ban that cheating diving Polish twat for the rest of the season. No wonder 'other' sports fans laugh at footballers so much, the guy was a total embarrassment.
