Inconsistent Referee's

[Pbseagull]

What hope have footballers got when there are such disparities between Referee's decisions. the tackles by Kompany & Johnson are very similar but one resulted in a red the other just a free kick. personally I don't think either should have warranted a red or even a yellow card.

....Glen Johnson- Liverpool V Man City..foul given NO card

....Vincent Kompany- Man City v Man Utd...Foul given RED card

 

[Austrian Gull]

What would worry me more is the favouritism shown towards certain clubs/players. Lampard should have got a straight red and Cashley should also have been sent-off against Wolves. A Wolves player guilty of such challenges would certainly have been dismissed.

 

[strings]

I have got past the point of blaming the referees, as they are all interpreting the same rule very differently. Clearly (in my opinion) it is up to the FA to discuss this confusion with the referees and issue a clarification of the rule.

It is quite common that the RFU sends my rugby club clarifications of existing rules, which are then made available to players and referees. The FA should be able to do similar - the quicker, the better.

 

[strings]

What would worry me more is the favouritism shown towards certain clubs/players. Lampard should have got a straight red and Cashley should also have been sent-off against Wolves. A Wolves player guilty of such challenges would certainly have been dismissed.

Such as Milias the week before, who was sent off for a challenge much less dangerous that Cole's and Lampard's.

 

[Acker79]

I think consistency is very hard to find. Referees are human, and as much as you guide them with laws there is still the issue of different people interpreting them differently. Even fans are in disagreement. I've not seen Kompany's challenge in action, just stills, but what I hear of it makes me think the ref is right, and I think Johnson should have gone too. When fans and players and the like all disagree on whether the ref is right or wrong, how can we expect all referees to agree?

I also think that often times conditions are different (shouldn't players be less eager to jump in when it's raining, since there will be less traction to slow their lunge?), interpretation of rules differe among fans managers and players, so will naturally vary with refs), speed of challenges and angles and lighting (affecting how well the ref sees it, maybe he glanced in the wrong direction because two players had just collided and he was checking they were ok for the match to continue or that they weren't having afters - as d'urso did when lambert hit el abd), motivation is different (is a player over stretching because he just had a bad touch, or is he overeager to regain lost possession?), reputation (is the player known for risking an opponent, or for showing great control in his lunges).

There are so many variables, that I don't think consistency will be achieved (and especially not when half the footballing world want the ref to how common sense, take into consideration the game as a spectacle and not send some one off early, or book someone who would then miss a final, or let that kid on his debut take his shirt off to celebrate his goal etc). Personally, all I ask for is some semblance of consistency within a match. I don't care if a ref let someone get away with something in a match three years ago, if he books one of ours for a particular infringement in this game, he should book theirs for any similar infringement in this game.

 

[Bold Seagull]

What hope have footballers got when there are such disparities between Referee's decisions. the tackles by Kompany & Johnson are very similar but one resulted in a red the other just a free kick. personally I don't think either should have warranted a red or even a yellow card.

View attachment 29502....Glen Johnson- Liverpool V Man City..foul given NO card

View attachment 29503....Vincent Kompany- Man City v Man Utd...Foul given RED card

I actually think both are red cards. This isn't even a 'recent' rule, 25 years ago you would get a red card for a 2 footed challenge. Both tackles in retrospect appear okay to some people as luckily neither Nani or Lescott left their foot in. The reason 2 footed challenges have always been out lawed in the game is that the tackler has a lack of control in the tackle, in order to thrust both feet forward you need to leave the ground and 'jump' into the tackle, as opposed to lunging forward with a single leg.

Both tackles here and the one from Lampard were red cards to me, going in with 2 feet, whether 1982, or 2012 has always been a no no.

 

[keaton]

I couldn't believe we didn't even get a foul in the last couple of minutes in the Wrexham game when their right-back launched himself at Adgenstein I think

 

[edna krabappel]

You do realise referees are human, don't you?

Just like the players...only nobody notices their countless mistakes in a game. Only those of the officials.

 

[Gritt23]

The trouble is that we as fans, media/pundits and managers ask for 2 things that are not happy bed fellows. "Consistency" and "Common Sense". Sorry, but I believe it's one or the other and we need to decide which we want.

Common Sense - that's what gets demanded when a decision is made to send someone off, when it's technically an offense that brings a red, but it's felt for some spurious reason - normally a misplaced belief that the refs jobs is to ensure the game is entertaining and not "ruined" - that the ref should have used a bit of common sense and just brandished a yellow. Hmm, personally I'm necver keen on this because, I just don't see how this can ever bring consistency. One mans "common sense" decision will inevitably be different from the next man. Blimey, I could make 2 different "common sense" calls in the same game, let alone comparing my decision making with another ref, in another atmosphere on another day.

Consistency - so, the only way we can deliver consistency is to sod the above, and apply the letter of law in all cases. If that means there are more sendings off while players get their heads around the face that you will "get away with" nothing, then so be it. That would be the price to pay for consistency. But we don't get it because as soon as a ref does apply the letter of the law, he gets torn apart by the manager who suffered, then the media, and the fans of that team, for being too pedantic, and not showing any "common sense."

Then, the next game comes round, and the ref - probably feeling under a bit of pressure to be slightly lenient - doesn't send a player off for a similar challenge, and we all explode in fury at the lack of consistency.

Common Sense or Consistency, we (the game as a whole) needs to decide, inform everyone, and stick with it. Unfortunately the truth is we as fans, media and managers can't decide which we want, and are therefore lacking consistency ourselves in what we are demanding from the refs.

 

[Bold Seagull]

You do realise referees are human, don't you?

Just like the players...only nobody notices their countless mistakes in a game. Only those of the officials.

The most frustrating thing for me is that after a hundred years of the games development, we still have a referee, 2 assistants, and 2 cards. Despite the game being transformed over the past 30 years, a referee still only has a 'talking to and warning', 'a yellow card' then a 'red card', as tools to maintain discipline within the game.

The players are the ones who have pushed the boundaries as basically they tread a line of knowing the ref will only give a red as a last resort (other than the one we had at home to Burnley). Even before additional officials behind goals etc. I'd like to see referee's given more tools to control a football match. I think a 10min sin bin for example would have a massive impact on behaviour without massively impacting on the outcome of a game such as a red card.

I've met a few top referee's in my time, and the ones I have met have been arrogant, completely self absorbed power hungry idiots that clearly were crap at sport at school and probably often bullied. D'Urso for example genuinely thinks he is a gift to football. I think this comes across to a lot of supporters, and was particularly evident to me with the ref at the Burnley game, he thought it was 'his' match rather than simply being an official to it.

 

[Easy 10]

Gritty is spot on, you can't have consistency AND common sense, but inevitably the injured party in any given incident will call for one or the other according to the circumstances.

And the comparison with the Kompany / Johnson challenge is just a further illustration as to why introducing technology to help with these type of decisions is a COMPLETE non-starter. A video replay of an incident is as open to interpretation as a live viewing of it. All you can ask for is an honest decision - it may not always be the right one, but thats the price you pay to save all the arsing about looking at replays to determine a decision.

 

[Surf's Up]

Referees have always been inconsistent its just that its much more visible now because all games are videoed and/or televised. Arguably their inconsistency helps to make the game more interesting, controversial, atmospheric etc etc but, as others have said, refs are only human and the only way of introducing a higher level of consistency is by making increased use of technology. This would have the disadvantage of slowing the game down but would result in more correct decision taking especially in the key areas of goal line decisions and potential red card offences. Discuss!!