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Home » Opinion » Foreign Views
Soccer's biggest goal: Fixing referee system
By Andrei S. Markovits and Lars Rensmann |
June 22, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE quality of refereeing at the World Cup had been a source of relief until last Friday (June 18), when referee Koman Coulibaly of Mali disallowed a perfectly legitimate goal by the United States that would have given it an all-important win over Slovenia.
Worse still, Coulibaly never had to account for his terrible decision, or explain it to anyone. Referee decisions in football, no matter how egregiously erroneous, are incontestable and immutable.
Football fans the world over will always remember the outrageous error last November that awarded France the decisive goal against Ireland to qualify for the tournament, despite obvious hand-play by the French superstar Thierry Henry.
A concerted effort to reform football (soccer) refereeing is needed. Refereeing errors increasingly mar the game on all its levels - country and club, major and minor leagues, globally televised tournaments and matches, and local games.
First, there is a need for video evidence. This would literally furnish the game changer in those few key situations that decide a match, such as an unjustifiably denied goal, an erroneous red card, or an egregious offside call.
One could establish a sort of ueber-official who surveys video monitors, immediately overrules wrong calls, and communicates this decision with the referee and linesmen on the field (who are already equipped with earphones).
Alternatively, one could give each team the opportunity to challenge up to two referee decisions per game, employing video replays to review rules infractions and settle disputed calls.
This procedure would give the referees on the field the opportunity, if necessary, to overrule their initial decisions. And quick reviews would not waste much time or interrupt the flow of the game. Under current conditions, the berating of the referee by the slighted team's players consumes more game time than any review ever will.
Second, we need to make use of the perfectly functioning electronic chip already inside the ball to settle decisively whether a ball has crossed the field's boundaries or its all-important goal lines.
Third, serious consideration should be given to introducing a second referee, with each given responsibility for one half of the huge playing field. The US National Basketball Association employs three referees on a playing surface one-ninth the size of a football field.
Last, the culture of secrecy and non-accountability that permeates soccer's major governing bodies such as FIFA, UEFA and the various country federations needs to be changed.
These measures would augment the effectiveness of often-clueless referees, whose authority has declined sharply with the proliferation of decisive mistakes in major games and championships.
While none of these measures is new, implementing them would add significant clarity and fairness to football.
Many of these overdue reforms have long been promoted by leading football experts, such as the Dutch world-class striker Marco van Basten and the former FIFA referee Markus Merk of Germany.
Of course, we are aware that human error will never be eliminated from affecting outcomes in any sport. Nor should it be. Indeed, we actually believe that the "we wuz robbed" dimension of all sports adds to their lore and legend.
But those responsible for a global product on the scale of football surely must act boldly to minimize the most egregious and avoidable errors, and thereby preserve the game's integrity.
(Andrei S. Markovits and Lars Rensmann are the authors of "Gaming the World: How Sports Are Reshaping Global Politics and Culture." They are both professors at the University of Michigan.Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2010. www.project-syndicate.org.)
Worse still, Coulibaly never had to account for his terrible decision, or explain it to anyone. Referee decisions in football, no matter how egregiously erroneous, are incontestable and immutable.
Football fans the world over will always remember the outrageous error last November that awarded France the decisive goal against Ireland to qualify for the tournament, despite obvious hand-play by the French superstar Thierry Henry.
A concerted effort to reform football (soccer) refereeing is needed. Refereeing errors increasingly mar the game on all its levels - country and club, major and minor leagues, globally televised tournaments and matches, and local games.
First, there is a need for video evidence. This would literally furnish the game changer in those few key situations that decide a match, such as an unjustifiably denied goal, an erroneous red card, or an egregious offside call.
One could establish a sort of ueber-official who surveys video monitors, immediately overrules wrong calls, and communicates this decision with the referee and linesmen on the field (who are already equipped with earphones).
Alternatively, one could give each team the opportunity to challenge up to two referee decisions per game, employing video replays to review rules infractions and settle disputed calls.
This procedure would give the referees on the field the opportunity, if necessary, to overrule their initial decisions. And quick reviews would not waste much time or interrupt the flow of the game. Under current conditions, the berating of the referee by the slighted team's players consumes more game time than any review ever will.
Second, we need to make use of the perfectly functioning electronic chip already inside the ball to settle decisively whether a ball has crossed the field's boundaries or its all-important goal lines.
Third, serious consideration should be given to introducing a second referee, with each given responsibility for one half of the huge playing field. The US National Basketball Association employs three referees on a playing surface one-ninth the size of a football field.
Last, the culture of secrecy and non-accountability that permeates soccer's major governing bodies such as FIFA, UEFA and the various country federations needs to be changed.
These measures would augment the effectiveness of often-clueless referees, whose authority has declined sharply with the proliferation of decisive mistakes in major games and championships.
While none of these measures is new, implementing them would add significant clarity and fairness to football.
Many of these overdue reforms have long been promoted by leading football experts, such as the Dutch world-class striker Marco van Basten and the former FIFA referee Markus Merk of Germany.
Of course, we are aware that human error will never be eliminated from affecting outcomes in any sport. Nor should it be. Indeed, we actually believe that the "we wuz robbed" dimension of all sports adds to their lore and legend.
But those responsible for a global product on the scale of football surely must act boldly to minimize the most egregious and avoidable errors, and thereby preserve the game's integrity.
(Andrei S. Markovits and Lars Rensmann are the authors of "Gaming the World: How Sports Are Reshaping Global Politics and Culture." They are both professors at the University of Michigan.Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2010. www.project-syndicate.org.)
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