Should video replay “correct” refereeing mistakes?
I understand the Fifa officials desperately trying to maintain tradition and resist change. But there are times & occasions where the injustice or “mistakes” are too vivid & detectable and their result, overwhelming and too consequential to stay quiet.
I am not talking about wrong offside calls or regular fouls during the game, since pausing for video replays will kill the momentum of the game and I’m sure Fifa officials will strike it down. I’m talking about instances where a goal is scored, yet is not allowed, or vice versa.
Instances like Maradona’s hand of god. Or recent Man-u vs Chelsea’s Giggs lunge, or … .
Latest case is what happened during SS-Ahvaz vs. Mes-Kerman game, where the equalizer is called off a shot that hit the bar and controversy rose regarding the ball crossing the line.
I haven’t seen the incident, but if the claims are correct and the ball did not cross, then a grave injustice has occurred and it deserves to be corrected.
The officials can examine video replays and rule based on that.
Just because we say “to err is human” it doesn’t mean it cannot be rectified!
Afterall such mistakes have great costs, as is in this case.
SS-A have never been in a position to win the trophy, and God knows if they’ll ever be again.
They have worked extremely hard in the season to get to this position. It is just too much to bear to see it taken away not because of their failures, but due to a mistake that can easily be corrected.
Now, I am not saying we stop the game for every suspicious call as it is not logical. We cant stop for video replay for every fouls, or even offisides or … and I’m sure Fifa will never accept.
But we cant at least restrict it to calls on the “balls crossing the goal line”.
Here, no-one can really talk about “delaying” the game as this doesn’t happen all that very often, and it IS a major decision and has direct effect on the fate of the game, also afterall, there are delays in shape of injuries to players ( fake or not ), substitutions, even celebrations after a goal. All these are allowed in the game.
So a 15-20 second review of the incident will not hamper the momentum extraordinarily as it happens during all those other incidents, but this 15-20 seconds can BRING JUSTICE and FAIRNESS back to the game.
a few seconds spent, but justice done ADDS FAR MORE VALUE TO THE GAME than persisting with injustice that leaves a negative mark and sometimes, hate & dejection in everyone.
a few seconds, and the score-board can announce "goal or no goal".
but the righteous is defended.
it's a win-all situation.
They have tried and succeeded this method in Cricket.
They take some 15-20 seconds to decide on a call by the umpire ( ref ) from different angles and rule on that; out or not out.
I believe this is imminently possible within the structure of football.
Hell, there are “FAKE” injuries that have taken much much more than that from the game time and still Fifa sits quiet.
I think for the sake of fairness, Fifa can practice this “patience” in far more positive and fairer ways.
Imagine if Man-U had this rule to check for their goal against Chelsea. It’d have been Man-U , instead of Chelsea, lifting the cup. Maybe.
Or so many other instances where injustice prevailed even AFTER everyone from match officials to Fifa to … agreed a call was the wrong one.
It doesnt happen often. but when it does, it has DIRE consequences on the team, tournament, and football itself.
I believe this can be added to Fifa rule books. Just as they are open to try out two referees or advancing a freekick if objected to or .... . They have NOTHING to lose and EVERYTHING to gain.
Maintaining traditions is good.
But maintaining the rights and spirit of fairness is just as much important as the game itself…. If not more.
I understand the Fifa officials desperately trying to maintain tradition and resist change. But there are times & occasions where the injustice or “mistakes” are too vivid & detectable and their result, overwhelming and too consequential to stay quiet.
I am not talking about wrong offside calls or regular fouls during the game, since pausing for video replays will kill the momentum of the game and I’m sure Fifa officials will strike it down. I’m talking about instances where a goal is scored, yet is not allowed, or vice versa.
Instances like Maradona’s hand of god. Or recent Man-u vs Chelsea’s Giggs lunge, or … .
Latest case is what happened during SS-Ahvaz vs. Mes-Kerman game, where the equalizer is called off a shot that hit the bar and controversy rose regarding the ball crossing the line.
I haven’t seen the incident, but if the claims are correct and the ball did not cross, then a grave injustice has occurred and it deserves to be corrected.
The officials can examine video replays and rule based on that.
Just because we say “to err is human” it doesn’t mean it cannot be rectified!
Afterall such mistakes have great costs, as is in this case.
SS-A have never been in a position to win the trophy, and God knows if they’ll ever be again.
They have worked extremely hard in the season to get to this position. It is just too much to bear to see it taken away not because of their failures, but due to a mistake that can easily be corrected.
Now, I am not saying we stop the game for every suspicious call as it is not logical. We cant stop for video replay for every fouls, or even offisides or … and I’m sure Fifa will never accept.
But we cant at least restrict it to calls on the “balls crossing the goal line”.
Here, no-one can really talk about “delaying” the game as this doesn’t happen all that very often, and it IS a major decision and has direct effect on the fate of the game, also afterall, there are delays in shape of injuries to players ( fake or not ), substitutions, even celebrations after a goal. All these are allowed in the game.
So a 15-20 second review of the incident will not hamper the momentum extraordinarily as it happens during all those other incidents, but this 15-20 seconds can BRING JUSTICE and FAIRNESS back to the game.
a few seconds spent, but justice done ADDS FAR MORE VALUE TO THE GAME than persisting with injustice that leaves a negative mark and sometimes, hate & dejection in everyone.
a few seconds, and the score-board can announce "goal or no goal".
but the righteous is defended.
it's a win-all situation.
They have tried and succeeded this method in Cricket.
They take some 15-20 seconds to decide on a call by the umpire ( ref ) from different angles and rule on that; out or not out.
I believe this is imminently possible within the structure of football.
Hell, there are “FAKE” injuries that have taken much much more than that from the game time and still Fifa sits quiet.
I think for the sake of fairness, Fifa can practice this “patience” in far more positive and fairer ways.
Imagine if Man-U had this rule to check for their goal against Chelsea. It’d have been Man-U , instead of Chelsea, lifting the cup. Maybe.
Or so many other instances where injustice prevailed even AFTER everyone from match officials to Fifa to … agreed a call was the wrong one.
It doesnt happen often. but when it does, it has DIRE consequences on the team, tournament, and football itself.
I believe this can be added to Fifa rule books. Just as they are open to try out two referees or advancing a freekick if objected to or .... . They have NOTHING to lose and EVERYTHING to gain.
Maintaining traditions is good.
But maintaining the rights and spirit of fairness is just as much important as the game itself…. If not more.
