Raphael Varane says

Well you’ve just admitted showing bias and if that’s indicative of referees in general than the game is in trouble. Giving decisions against kids teams because a particular dad shouts the loudest? Go you. I’m not condoning any abuse - but I’m not condoning it affecting impartiality either.

There is a huge argument that officials in football should get much more respect, in the way cricket and rugby union do for example. But it works both ways. Cricket umpires and rugby union referees are approachable, explain themselves, are not aloof and dismissive of players and they stand up to scrutiny.

Football referees often come across as dictators, beyond questioning and are never apparently held accountable for poor performance. It’s too much of a closed house.

Change should be made. To include players and coaching staff showing more respect. But also to include referees being less sheltered from all scrutiny.

 

I suppose you’re right, but I operate on a boy who cried wolf basis. If you keep diving/calling for a foul/decision etc, if there is a genuine 50/50 it will go against you. And trust me my team get it worse than the other team because I know which of our kids are faking.

 

Seems stupid like most rules in football. Just apply the actual rules and book the players, everytime without fail.
For example don't let the goalkeeper waste time half a dozen times before booking them.
It's the same problem with respect and arguing with officials, book them.
Look at the Qatar World Cup, the players wanted to stand up for LBGT rights upto the moment they were told they would be booked. It's a easy fix.

 

Refs do get things wrong and players should be able to challenge decisions - but in a controlled manner, following a protocol. Only the captain speaks to the ref, and each side has 3 var challenges per half, and another 2 during the whole of extra-time in cup matches. Works extremely well in other sports.

 

So have I, nay on 60 yrs. And I'd say the foriegn legion completely took it to another level. Klinsmann the master of the art. Stats on game time.(Ball in play) Have decreased alarmingly as it's become part of the game. The older brigade would not have stood for such nonsense. Rolling over as if hit by a tractor. In 1992 there were only 13 foreign players in the Prem. Then the shenanigans erupted after that time. Klinsmann came along in 1996.

 

Goalkeeper makes a routine catch/collect under no challenge and collapses to the ground holding the ball to have a look around for a few seconds. Automatic yellow every time for me.

 

It also adds a fair bit of time and on.

 

Absolutely. But it's a reasonable sensible use of time!

 

3 per half would be tedious to watch, they’d be reviewing everything.

 

I've said this for years. For objective decisions, why don't we have captains or managers with a certain number of VAR challenges like other sports instead of having to go to it several times a match?

Far less disruptive to the flow and fans and players could return to celebrating properly.

 

Agreed. It's another alteration which inconveniences fans, players and coaches. So you have to question, what's the reasoning?

 

One per half. If you win the appeal, you keep another challenge. Lose the review, you've spent it and your challenge for that half is gone.

 

Interestingly they are adding similar amounts of extra time on in the WWC which I find somewhat surprising because the women don’t seem to set out to time waste anything like the men do

 

Having watched a number of games I think “gamesmanship” (gameswomanship) is creeping in.

 

If a team is losing by 2 or more goals at 90 minutes, they should have the option to concede allowing the referee to blow the whistle and end the game. I don't think anyone would have minded if we had won 6-0 instead of 7-0 on Saturday and the players, fans and other staff would have finished and gone home earlier. This would reduce injuries and protect the players.

The chances of a team coming back from 2-0 down in injury time is slim. It isn't impossible, but everyone in the stadium can tell when a team has given up on the pitch.

 

Ok, maybe two then. The details could be ironed out. But surely some sort of review system would be better than the current situation. Tim Robinson didn't even look at either of the key moments at Wembley. I still haven't got a clue why.

 

What if a team needs to avoid a 3 goal defeat to stay up, get a place in the playoffs etc? Completely unworkable as it has the potential to ruin the integrity of the game.

 

No I don't like that, the game needs to be completed. Goals scored and goals difference can be the determination between promotion and relegation.
The issue with football is so simple, it's the worse officiated sport I can think of coupled with 22 players trying to cheat the ref.

 

The option to concede. Obviously, if you are looking for a goal to avoid relegation, etc. you wouldn't concede. But just about every time we've need to avoid defeat to avoid relegation, we've capitulated and wouldn't have scored if we were still playing *now*.

 

Yes but if you needed to avoid conceding a third goal to avoid relegation then you would choose to finish the game and thus send another team down. Equally your opponents may need another goal to affect their promotion/ relegation situation.