Sports

Saturday November 7, 2009

Video technology can give refs a helping hand

The Aftermatch - By Brian Martin

IT’S been happening again and again.

Goals that should not have been given, fouls that should have been given, non-existent offsides, the list goes on and on.

The pace of modern football is such that referees can no longer be relied on to officiate matches without the aid of modern technology – specifically instant replay or video technology.

There is too much at stake to leave game-changing decisions in the hands of just one man.

Three recent matches come to mind.

Last week, Hull’s embattled manager Phil Brown must have felt the footballing gods were against him when four big decisions went Burnley’s way.

Among others, match referee Mike Jones wrongly sent off striker Geovanni and disallowed a perfectly legitimate goal for The Tigers.

Brown is probably one match away from getting the sack as a result of such big decisions.

In midweek, Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson blasted the man in black for not giving a blatant penalty when Darren Fletcher was brought down by a CSKA Moscow defender.

Instead, Fletcher was given a yellow card for ‘diving’.

The decision was absurd because replays showed that it was a cast iron penalty.

Another aggrieved manager, Liverpool’s Rafa Benitez also had a legitimate complaint when his defender Jamie Carragher was sent off for bringing down Fulham’s Bobby Zamora in the 3-1 defeat by Fulham.

Replays showed that Carragher actually got the ball first.

Such inconsistencies by referees are baffling and, in all these incidences, justice would have prevailed if video technology had been used.

In every EPL match, there is a fourth official but what does this guy really do other than watch the clock and add on injury time?

Wouldn’t it make sense for the fourth official to actually watch instant replays on a TV monitor and relay information to the referee?

Many other sports, like cricket, ice-hockey, American football, fencing, gymnastics and tennis, have introduced video evidence over the years.

But football has refrained from such a move, with FIFA boss Joseph Blatter saying that “the game must keep its human face, which includes mistakes”.

“Football will lose its fascination if it becomes too scientific,” Blatter said.

This just does not make sense.

Video evidence is currently used in football only to sanction players after games for offences the referee may have missed.

But American sports – in particular ice-hockey, American football, basketball and baseball – use instant replays to review plays and ensure the correct call has been made.

Far from “becoming to scientific”, video technology has actually helped these sports project a cleaner, fairer image.

This is in contrast with football, where allegations of corruption are prevalent, and where fans often wonder if the referees are on the take.

But the reality is the man in black has a thankless job, having to make decisions within a split-second.

Referees will surely welcome an opportunity to stop the match for a minute or two to allow them to check the instant replay before making a game-changing decision.

Isn’t it better to be sure than sorry (for the aggrieved team)?

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