Referees. Umpires. Officials. Whatever the sport, those who officiate professional sports have a love-hate relationship with fans and teams, with hate usually overshadowing the love. Officiating, more than ever, has come under exponentially increasing levels of scrutiny as available technology expands.
In many sports, the ability to look at replay or use Hawk-Eye type of technology was incorporated seamlessly into the games. Tennis and Cricket utilize Hawk-Eye technology; in cricket, they go so far as to use it to determine the projected path of a ball based on speed and spin. The NFL adapted a “Challenges” system that has been effective but still has its flaws. Major League Baseball, similar to the steroids situation, was late to arrive on the use-of-technology scene, but is slowly incorporating it into certain situations. Hockey and Basketball have done a solid job of using video replay without damaging the flow of the game. In the end, most athletes and coaches will tell you they would rather see the right call with some review rather than the wrong call.
As a former soccer and intramural sports official, I have a soft spot for referees; however, I would denounce them off the face of the earth if an incorrect call is made against my favorite team. We hate to see when good officials make a rare bad call, but even the best will get one wrong (see: Jim Joyce).
This season in the English Premier League, however, has seen games rife with controversy. Penalties wrongly called, red cards awarded on mystery fouls, and as we saw this weekend, a goal was incorrectly given for crossing the line. The EPL and FIFA have been widely urged to consider the use of technology to aid referees but have failed to act thus far.
The most important weekend in the EPL to date may have also been the most controversial. There were two games between four of the top five teams that may have benefited from replay: Chelsea-Tottenham and Manchester United-Arsenal.
On Saturday, Tottenham goalie Gomes let a routine shot slip through his arms and bounce toward goal. Replays showed that the ball was only ¾ past the line—not a goal when he saved it. They also showed that the line judge who made the call was 15-20 yards behind the play at an angle from which he could only be guessing. This goal not only tied the game but also gave Chelsea momentum going into halftime. Then, late in a tie game, Salomoun Kalou scored the winner amidst confusion in the box while being in an offside position.
On Sunday we saw Arsenal in top form face a less-inspired United side; but two missed penalty calls overshadowed the Gunners’ efforts. On a cross, it appeared that Nemanja Vidic handled the ball, but none of the officials were in the proper spots to see it. Arsenal felt robbed, but late in the game, Michael Owen was clearly tripped in the box with United trying to even the score. Replay technology may have easily diffused most, if not all, of these situations.
So what’s the answer? Those four calls were just a few in a long line of questionable officiating this season. FIFA has been toying around with the thought of installing chips that notify the referee when the ball crosses the goal line. The beauty (and sometimes demise) of soccer is the judgment of one official that allows the game to flow. While a great referee smoothly controls the game and makes you appreciate the sport, a bad one can leave a disgusting taste in your mouth. Simple goal line technology allows refs to make the correct call without being undermined. Frank Lampard benefited on the goal this weekend, but even he would be a proponent of this additional aid; he was robbed of a goal last summer in South Africa when the ball crossed the line but a goal was not given.
Hopefully, all leagues and FIFA will swallow their pride and add technology as soon as next season so championships are won by superior soccer play and not unsettling controversy.
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