Referees vs. The Devil
Much attention is being paid to the refereeing in this year’s World Cup, in part because the referees were less than spectacular in 2002. There are 21 refereeing teams in this year’s tournament and FIFA has had them all living, training and laughing together in an undisclosed bunker in Germany for the past few weeks.
In between the inevitable horseplay in the dorm rooms, the referees have had eight points hammered into their little brains. The referees have been told to clamp down on:
1. Elbowing
2. Reckless Tackling
3. Shirt Pulling
4. Time-wasting
5. Diving
6. Naughty behavior in the wall
7. Players wearing jewelry
8. Attitudes towards officials
While I personally think that point number 7 should be the major emphasis in this tournament, FIFA honcho Sepp Blatter is more concerned with the devil than the bling-bling. Blatter talked with the referees and gave them this bit of sage advice:
“I gave them only one instruction, to protect the good games and to protect the good players and to pay special attention to the devil that has come into our game, elbowing.”
Pity the bad players playing in the bad games because they will not be protected from the devil by the referees.
While FIFA maintains that the strict enforcement code won’t lead to an increase in red and yellow cards, I can’t help but think we might see even more this time than we have in years past.
A new study is out that suggests when it is a good time for a player to take a red card to prevent a goal and when it is not. Perhaps some of the players should read it in between training sessions.
What do you think? Will the referees being handing out cards in this tournament? Will we see better refereeing than in 2002?
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Comments
By AJ | June 5th, 2006 at 9:42 am 
If they really are serious about enforcing diving than we will see a rise in red cards. But I don’t think they’re serious about it.
Posted from 
Germany
By Eric | June 5th, 2006 at 10:08 am I thuink the overall level should be better. That would be due to the fact that the officials have worked together on a regular basis. However it does not appear that we have the couple of great officials that we had in the last few cups, but maybe someone will come out of this tournament as a great offical.
Posted from 
United States
By Akbar | June 5th, 2006 at 10:26 am The problem is that if the referees want to bring reform into the overall game then they require a step-by-step process. The big tournaments would be a good opportunity for this.
It would be scandalous (but quite an example), if suddenly a referee awarded an all-important penalty to an attacker who’s shirt had been tugged in the box, or for to an attacker who had been pushed during a set piece stampede.
Referees try to be more defensive in these situations: they would rather disallow a goal for a foul in the box (for example nearly every Sol Campbell header), but they will rarely give a penalty to an attacker who has been “fouled” in the box during corners/set pieces.
Shirt-tugging seems to have become almost acceptable now. Referees don’t even blink, unless the guy getting his shirt tugged decides to collapse.
Slowly but definitely FIFA and UEFA need to work together to ensure that the public and the players both get used to a game of football where contact between opposite players becomes almost non-existant.
Posted from 
Switzerland
By Rick | June 5th, 2006 at 11:31 am I think they have to call the games very close, right from the initial whistle. Call everything early, so the players are clear on what’s going to be called.
It’s much easier to “let them play” later in the game, than clamp down if it gets out of control early. And hopefully the elbowing won’t get out of control…
Posted from United States
By The Rev PAFC | June 5th, 2006 at 12:17 pm I hope that this has been communicated to managers and players. The notion, that cheating is fine if it helps you win, has been the biggest curse to hit the game in the last forty years (see my thoughts on Ian Wright’s comments during the England-Uruguary friendly at my blog). The simple fact is - referees don’t cheat. Players and managers do. So, if FIFA want to start hurling blame around for cheating etc they need to start by punishing players and national teams - by kicking out repeat offenders if necessary.
Posted from 
United Kingdom
By steve | June 5th, 2006 at 9:43 pm There is no game in the history of sports where the judgement of the referee has more to do with the outcome of the game than soccer. It makes the game difficult to take seriously. Unless someone makes changes that allow for more goals to be scored, the power of the referee will continue to cause fans and players needless pain and suffering. The game can be fixed……
Posted from United States
By soccer_daemon | June 5th, 2006 at 11:08 pm If teams are allowed to make
substitution, so should the
referees replaced when conflicting
call is made. THat’s what I call
real FIFA fair play!
Posted from 
Australia
By enzo | June 6th, 2006 at 2:48 am I have heard there are about 23 TV cameras at each stadium, covering every angle. Well, it’s about time use is made of this technology so that there is no repeat of the last World Cup where Italy and Spain were robbed of legitimate goals which were claimed, by one-eyed referees, to be offside. With instant replays it is very easy to double and triple check if a goal is offside or onside, considering more time is wasted during a match with players pretending to be hurt.
Posted from Australia
By troy | June 6th, 2006 at 11:41 am if i was a player and some clown dived and screamed like a girl to win a free kick. i would give the woman something to scream about. do some soccer players realise they are viewed on a world stage and they make soccer the butt of soft jokes.
Posted from Australia
By luis felipe | June 6th, 2006 at 2:14 pm this world cup will be amazing
Posted from 
Guatemala
By luis felipe | June 6th, 2006 at 2:21 pm this world cup is amazing
Posted from Guatemala
By Pedro P | June 6th, 2006 at 3:24 pm Elbowing is from nowadays…? Leonardo (Brazil) got a red card against USA in 1994 for that.
The average level of referees in WC’s is normally very, very bad. What you see happening is a bunch of guys read the rules and decides to apply them, without any type of feeling whatsoever.
Favourites are usually also favoured by refs and it might not even be on purpose. But they are. Ronaldinho can go in the face of the referee to “correct” the barrier and in the ref asks something, he smiles and it’s OK. Another player, and it’s a yellow… Italy always fouls and kicks (and dives) more than all others and they never get more cards for that.
Posted from 
Netherlands
By marco | June 6th, 2006 at 5:14 pm well the refs in 2002 were all corupt so thats why they were so bad — i think they should continue as they have been with shirt pulling nad give a yellow for it straight up .. for diving give yellows as well .. like enzo said and like iv been sayen for yrs now .. they need to put in video re plays like they have in rugby and cricket to stop all the crap going on … but wanna know why all the big clubs dont wanna do it and say not to put video re play in?? Because at the end of the day they all rig matches to!!!
Posted from Australia
By Pedro | June 6th, 2006 at 5:37 pm I heard a discussion on Fox soccer TV yesterday where their so-called experts were lamenting that a Mexican ref had been chosen for the World Cup. Their beef was that he had never refereed a European game. Is it not bad enough that the WC is undeservedly loaded with European teams? Must they also load it with European refs to ensure European dominance. My prediction is that African teams will have the most unjust fouls and cards against them. That has been the case since 1970 against teams from Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Cameroon etc., and who can forget Congo vs Yugoslavia.
Posted from United States
By govjaguar | June 16th, 2006 at 9:47 pm In todays game of ivory coast vs netherlands…the referee was very partial towards netherland in the first half…even the commentator and expert panel firmly said about the referees bad decisions…especially ignoring the foul by netherlands which prevented ivory coast from a penalty…also the yellow card given to the captain of ivory coast for a small accidental hit in the arm of the goalkeeper…Ivory coast truly played well…guys plz keep a track of these incidents…
Posted from 
India
By tglacour | June 17th, 2006 at 11:20 pm Referees from H*ll!!
The ref in the Ivory Coast v. Netherlands was truly awful, and his linesman the same - a man who is EVEN with the last defensemen when the ball is struck IS NOT offsides, HELLOOO! Bu this Uruguaian (U-rug-whiner) who ref’ed the Italia v. USA match was straight from Lucifer’s WC. Although the red card against the Italian was correct, they called Italy 3 times offsides when they clearly were not, and missed the call once (nearly a goal!) when an Italian was clearly offsides 8 yards from goal. And the atrocious carding against US players! especially the 1st red for a sliding tackle that at most was a yellow and NOT to be equated with the vicious elbow thrown by the Italian. Disgusting performance, these guys should never call another game.
By Pedro | June 18th, 2006 at 4:31 am Jorge Larrionda, the ref from the USA v Italy match, single handedly took any hope of the USA team from winning the game. He’s lucky the American fans are not as extreme as in the incident when Andreas Escobar from Columbia accidentally scored on his own goal to later go home and be killed in a bar by a crazed fan.
Posted from United States
By Lou | June 19th, 2006 at 5:26 pm We want to watch players play - not idiots who weren’t held enough by their mommies draw all the attention to themselves…..FIFA should be hiding their collective heads in sand - it will make it easier to receive their collective punishment…a good swift kick in the A**
Posted from United States
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