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View Full Version : Referees' inexperience could hurt World Cup teams



MaNuMaNiAc
06-08-2006, 03:43 PM
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/gabriele_marcotti/06/07/referees/index.html


FRANKFURT, Germany -- In a perfect world, referees would be little more than inanimate objects -- like the goalposts, the ball or the chalk that marks the touchline. They would be a necessary part of the game but wouldn't in any way influence its outcome.

Alas, it doesn't work that way. Referees do influence the outcome of games with their decisions, largely because they're human and they make mistakes.

For many, that's where the discussion ends. Refereeing errors are part of the game, and things balance themselves out. Just look at history.

In 1966, Germany was penalized by a dubious decision in the final against England.

Twenty years later the shoe was on the other foot as England was victimized by a linesman who failed to spot Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal in its match against Argentina.

And, in 1990, balance was restored: Germany was gifted an imaginary penalty in the final against Argentina (which also had two players sent off).

There you go: One screw-job each and everybody's equal and happy, right? Wrong.

Anybody with even a basic grasp of statistics will tell you that refereeing errors (for or against) do not even themselves out. Certainly not over the course of a tournament or two.

The truth is that some teams are penalized more than others. Sure, we can chalk it up to luck and happenstance, but at the same time, we have a duty to make sure refereeing mistakes are as few and far between as possible, particularly in a tournament as big as the World Cup. And since not all referees are created equal (they all make mistakes, but better ones make fewer mistakes than others), this means making sure we call upon the very best for the big stage.

But a look at the list of the 23 officials in Germany '06 reveals a decidedly mixed bag. While many of the top referees in Europe and South America are professional (or virtually professional), the World Cup will feature a maritime inspector from Benin (Coffi Codjia), a company director from Australia (Greg Shield) and an employee of the refereeing department of the Singaporean FA (Shamsul Maidin).

The issue is not that they're not professionals; the issue is what these gentlemen do in the four years between each World Cup. Referees generally officiate in their domestic leagues. That's how they gain experience and improve. But Benin and Singapore don't have professional leagues. And Australia's pro league is only a year old. That basically means that week in, week out, Messrs. Codjia, Shield and Maidin officiate matches between amateurs, played in front of a few thousand people at best.

So how can we expect them to make the jump? How can we expect them to deal with players who are faster, fitter, more skillful and often more devious than those they are used to? Particularly when Codjia, Shield and Maidin will be working in front of 50,000-strong crowds?

The answer is that we can't. These men represent a huge gamble, not because they are bad or stupid or incompetent but because they are vastly inexperienced. In fact, the only reason they're at the World Cup is that FIFA, rather than taking the 23 top officials in the world (to handle 736 of the world's best players), opted for a representative sample from all over the world.

And, in many ways, it makes sense. Benin and Singapore may never qualify for the World Cup. And it's not Codjia's fault that he was born there. Had he been born in Birmingham or Buenos Aires he might have had the chance to referee in a top domestic league. Why should he be punished because he's from Benin?

It's a tough issue. As unfair as it seems, the simple truth is that these men lack the experience and know-how of their colleagues from other parts of the world. And this may well mean they'll make more mistakes and cause more teams heartbreak.

So what's the solution?

Well, simply calling the world's best is not an option. Europe and South America would be even more overrepresented than they are now. And that's not fair.

There is, however, a way to fix the system, though it will take time. FIFA should give referees far more freedom in moving between countries and officiating in foreign leagues. La Liga, Serie A, the Premiership and other top leagues freely raid the rest of the world and import the best footballing talent; why shouldn't they do the same with referees?

Highly rated officials like Japan's Toru Kamikawa, Paraguay's Carlos Amarilla and Egypt's Essam Abd El Fatah would not be out of place in a top European or South American league. And they would benefit tremendously from working with the best players in the world.

It's time to break this absurd divide that shackles officials to their place of birth while allowing players to ply their trade wherever they like. Individual leagues would benefit from better officials. And, ultimately, the World Cup would enjoy a higher standard of refereeing while still being truly representative of the whole world.

If we don't do something about it, mark my words, we'll get the same raft of recriminations, accusations and bitterness we saw after Korea-Japan '02. Alas, it's too late for this World Cup, which means any team that gets Codjia, Shield or Maidin in its games will be quaking in their boots. And with good reason.


a very good point being made here, I am definately worried

Phenomanul
06-08-2006, 03:58 PM
I did not note this was the case... hopefully Mexico or the U.S. don't draw these inexperienced referees...

themvp
06-09-2006, 08:00 AM
I remeber that on WC 2002 in Korea and Japan were bad referees..

velik_m
06-09-2006, 08:26 AM
There is, however, a way to fix the system, though it will take time. FIFA should give referees far more freedom in moving between countries and officiating in foreign leagues. La Liga, Serie A, the Premiership and other top leagues freely raid the rest of the world and import the best footballing talent; why shouldn't they do the same with referees?

because referees in football are not profesionals.

refs in Korea/Japan sucked because they pushed equal representation of regions instead of just the best refs. so what if 90% of refs would be from europe?

FIFA used refs from other regions in qualifying groups in Europe as a learning experience - they sucked. They can keep their chubby sideline ref from kuwait who can't keep up with the defensive line and signals off-sides 5 minutes after they have supposedly happened.

Texas_Ranger
06-09-2006, 09:46 AM
I remeber that on WC 2002 in Korea and Japan were bad referees..

True

SPARKY
06-09-2006, 10:23 AM
The same in any sport. :lol Or is it the "experienced" ones to avoid?

velik_m
06-09-2006, 01:18 PM
the refs were good at the opening game. hope they keep it up.

Phenomanul
06-09-2006, 01:50 PM
the refs were good at the opening game. hope they keep it up.

Elizondo and his gang are the best crew of the 'American' Hemisphere...