Soccer makes me crazy

[DadofTwins]

I don't buy the "smaller space more officials" line.

In football, you have guys watching 22 players because all 22 players are involved in every single play. In soccer, the field referee is only looking at 5-7 of the players at a time. The ARs watch the guys off the ball, most of whom aren't doing much of anything. If the center referee is in good position at a good angle within 10 or so yards of the play, he can see what he needs to see.

An extra set of eyes behind the goal line opposite the center ref might be nice, but it's probably only necessary at the highest level.

I would also give the competition authority the right to impose or revoke sportsmanship sanctions after the fact, but again only at the highest level.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by DadofTwins

I don't buy the "smaller space more officials" line.

What do you not buy... Football has less space and more officials than soccer. Not sure what there is there not to buy.

Originally Posted by DadofTwins

In football, you have guys watching 22 players because all 22 players are involved in every single play. In soccer, the field referee is only looking at 5-7 of the players at a time. The ARs watch the guys off the ball, most of whom aren't doing much of anything. If the center referee is in good position at a good angle within 10 or so yards of the play, he can see what he needs to see.

Yes, you watch all 22 because they are all near each other. If you put these 22 all over the field, and then make it so that the ball action could move 50-70 yards in a couple of seconds, 7 wouldn't be nearly enough... but you've hit on my reason for needing more right there. IF the referee is in good position at a good angle within 10 yards... Problem is ... with just 1, he VERY often is not - neither good position, good angle, nor within 10 yards. None of the above - hence the awful calls. With as much movement and space as soccer has, there's NO chance for a referee to stay in good position and angle, and straightlines will happen. Often.

An extra set of eyes behind the goal line opposite the center ref might be nice, but it's probably only necessary at the highest level.

I would also give the competition authority the right to impose or revoke sportsmanship sanctions after the fact, but again only at the highest level.

I would say more than "nice". Required, I believe. An official there would make a HUGE difference, not just on goals but on penalties and hand-balls close to the goal. I agree with the last sentence as well... and yes, only at the high levels - but we're talking about the World Cup - doesn't get much higher than that.

[DadofTwins]

In American football, you watch all 22 players because all 22 can hit or be hit every play. In soccer, you only have to watch 5-7 players at a time.

And the days of one, omnipotent referee in the center of the field are long since gone. In the last decade AR's have become more and more active in calling fouls, awarding penalties, and even giving cards. There's a reason they aren't called "linesmen" anymore. Now there's even a fourth official who can tell the center referee anything he sees.

The big issue seems to be in the nature of this particular tournament. Since goals are so rare, and since World Cup Finals games are "do or die" (less so in group play, but still) the consequences of every mistake are that much higher. (Remember, the 16-team knock-out format didn't come about until 1986, with the advent of the first American network TV deal.) The lower the margin for error for the players, the lower the error margin is for the officials.

"One and done" might make for exciting basketball, but it's lousy for soccer.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by DadofTwins

In American football, you watch all 22 players because all 22 can hit or be hit every play. In soccer, you only have to watch 5-7 players at a time.

I disagree 100%. The officials for any sport need to be able to observe ALL of the players ALL of the time. There is always a potential for a situation to occur away from the main action.

Or perhaps you feel that the referee crew didn't need to watch these two at this time.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by jbduke

When you preface every one of your supposed questions with "WTH," it appears that you don't care about answers or explanations nearly so much as you care about banging on about something you simply dislike on the face of things.

Why would "What the he(ck) is with..." or "How the he(ck) can you expect" imply that I don't care about answers? WTH would you think that? (And I only said WTH 2 times... not every single supposed question...)

[grunewar]

2010 World Cup: Sepp Blatter says FIFA will 'reopen the file' on replay - ESPN Soccernet

[SethPDX]

Originally Posted by grunewar

2010 World Cup: Sepp Blatter says FIFA will 'reopen the file' on replay - ESPN Soccernet

Of course he was to say that. I will believe it is happening when I see the laws actually get changed. (Sorry, but Blatter brings out the cynicism in a lot of soccer fans.)

[Welpe]

It seems to me that Sepp is the Bud Selig of international soccer.