[Football] Linesman

[The Wizard]

What is the point of them anymore? Might as well get rid of them, watching this United/City game there’s been 3 offsides that were offside by at least 2 yards and the linesman don’t put their flags up anymore, I know they aren’t meant too for close decisions but it seems like the margin is getting bigger and bigger.

I absolutely hate it, I much prefer the old days of the linesman putting his flag up or down and the decision being final, this whole limbo of us all seeing a player is miles offside and then not putting the flag up for 10 seconds is crap.

 

[timbha]

What is the point of them anymore? Might as well get rid of them, watching this United/City game there’s been 3 offsides that were offside by at least 2 yards and the linesman don’t put their flags up anymore, I know they aren’t meant too for close decisions but it seems like the margin is getting bigger and bigger.

I absolutely hate it, I much prefer the old days of the linesman putting his flag up or down and the decision being final, this whole limbo of us all seeing a player is miles offside and then not putting the flag up for 10 seconds is crap.

They’ll be doing it for throw ins and corners next, just in case the ball didn’t go out and a goal would have been scored. I used to love the berating of the lino after a dodgy decision

 

[Guinness Boy]

I ran the line for my son's team for two seasons. It's a difficult job and not made any easier when you're being barracked by chavvy parents and having your coach suggest "you might go a bit easy". I made several genuine mistakes as well as not knowing to this day if my more borderline decisions were correct or not.

Without me the game would not have gone ahead.

VAR is taking the game we love and reducing it to lines drawn to the command of a school teacher. It is all kinds of wrong. I imagine after Covid is finally done there will be wags on the sidelines of under 12s games referring every throw in that the earnest volunteer gives to a non existent VAR while the best in the land at it are told to never raise their flags again.

Mental.

 

[maffew]

Surprised they havent been replaced yet by those cameras they have at dog tracks

 

[The Wizard]

I ran the line for my son's team for two seasons. It's a difficult job and not made any easier when you're being barracked by chavvy parents and having your coach suggest "you might go a bit easy". I made several genuine mistakes as well as not knowing to this day if my more borderline decisions were correct or not.

Without me the game would not have gone ahead.

VAR is taking the game we love and reducing it to lines drawn to the command of a school teacher. It is all kinds of wrong. I imagine after Covid is finally done there will be wags on the sidelines of under 12s games referring every throw in that the earnest volunteer gives to a non existent VAR while the best in the land at it are told to never raise their flags again.

Mental.

Agreed, I have refereed and ran the line, it’s bloody difficult. Just seems strange to me that linesmen are basically an also ran now, you really don’t need them there as they don’t call the decisions that are obvious , they are basically a throw in judge, and half the time they get those wrong Every game now there’s multiple times where I look away because you can clearly see it’s offside and they don’t flag so you have the move play out with players half arsed because they know they are offside.

It can’t be long before robots start doing the offsides.

 

[timbha]

I ran the line for my son's team for two seasons. It's a difficult job and not made any easier when you're being barracked by chavvy parents and having your coach suggest "you might go a bit easy". I made several genuine mistakes as well as not knowing to this day if my more borderline decisions were correct or not.

Without me the game would not have gone ahead.

VAR is taking the game we love and reducing it to lines drawn to the command of a school teacher. It is all kinds of wrong. I imagine after Covid is finally done there will be wags on the sidelines of under 12s games referring every throw in that the earnest volunteer gives to a non existent VAR while the best in the land at it are told to never raise their flags again.

Mental.

Just wait til the chavvy parents start using their phones for VAR.

Worst job in the world - Lino for kids football - and all credit to those who do it

 

[TugWilson]

Linesman ( stuff refs assistant ) are bottlers these days . They used to make a call , a positive call and stand by it right or wrong . These days ( since VAR ) they wait for the ref to blow before raising a flag . I believe one of the linesmen v Wolves was the incredibly incompetent Sian Massey , either that or she has a dislike for BHA . She raised her flag only after the ref had blowed , not wanting to make the call herself . She has a history against us .

Yes it`s a tough job running the line for the sprogs or Saturday/Sunday pub league , but i rightly or wrongly understood all linesmen at Prem level were qualified ref`s in their own right , if so they have no excuse . They have approximately 57 yards to cover , yet never seem to keep up with play . Perhaps i`m over critical of an individual who`s decision could mean the difference between Premier or Championship football , not to mention the 200m quid . But they might at least cover their 2km a game with the same urgency as a MF does in his 11km .

Souness has had a few ideas on the off side for instance , and i like the one that there has to be clear daylight between the two players not just an arm or elbow , which is not a scoring part of the body anyway .

 

[amexer]

Can just about understand why dont flag for very close ones but agree watched game tonight and several that were yards off. Can anybody explain why powers that be consider this is beneficial for game.

 

[Invicta]

I get when it's close but 5 yds and then play on for 20 seconds before flagging is sucking the life out of football.

 

[Barham's tash]

I thought this was a thread reminiscing about England’s ill fated qualifying campaign for World Cup 94.

“Linesman! He’s got to go! Linesman! How has he not seen that? Oh no no no no no...”

 

[Pudos]

Just wait til the chavvy parents start using their phones for VAR.

Worst job in the world - Lino for kids football - and all credit to those who do it

Absolutely on the credit. Used to line and ref at kids games, nightmare. Hands up there were times I got things wrong but its a tough job at the best of times. In classic fashion when I'd ask for a linesman volunteer for a game the mouthy parents hands stayed fixed in their pockets, very quiet until kick off.
In adults game was stunned by how few really knew the rules, even at a higher semi pro standard

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Linesman ( stuff refs assistant ) are bottlers these days . They used to make a call , a positive call and stand by it right or wrong . These days ( since VAR ) they wait for the ref to blow before raising a flag . I believe one of the linesmen v Wolves was the incredibly incompetent Sian Massey , either that or she has a dislike for BHA . She raised her flag only after the ref had blowed , not wanting to make the call herself . She has a history against us .

.

It’s the exact opposite. We seem to do well when Sian Massey-Ellis runs the line.

 

[-gully-]

Still selective about who they flag for. Top 6 no flaggy. Below that intermittent flagging if they fancy it.

 

[Napper]

easily offended crew should be along soon with the thread title

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

What is the point of them anymore? Might as well get rid of them, watching this United/City game there’s been 3 offsides that were offside by at least 2 yards and the linesman don’t put their flags up anymore, I know they aren’t meant too for close decisions but it seems like the margin is getting bigger and bigger.

I absolutely hate it, I much prefer the old days of the linesman putting his flag up or down and the decision being final, this whole limbo of us all seeing a player is miles offside and then not putting the flag up for 10 seconds is crap.

I much prefer the old days when ALL decisions were left to the refereee and inesmen. VAR has completely ruined football.

End of.

 

[JJ McClure]

The old saying of can you explain the offside rule no longer seems to apply. I can explain the offside rule, but I can no longer explain how it is applied as it has to be caveated with 'well if its obvious the lineman might put their flag up, but sometimes they'll let play go and then put their flag up after and sometimes they wont do either but but some fella in Surrey will draw lines all over the TV and decides whats offside'

 

[Superphil]

Linesman ( stuff refs assistant ) are bottlers these days . They used to make a call , a positive call and stand by it right or wrong . These days ( since VAR ) they wait for the ref to blow before raising a flag . I believe one of the linesmen v Wolves was the incredibly incompetent Sian Massey , either that or she has a dislike for BHA . She raised her flag only after the ref had blowed , not wanting to make the call herself . She has a history against us .

.

We had a referee on the Albion Roar a few years back, he told us that there are some referees who tell the linesmen pre match that all the decisions will be made by him (the referee) and the linesmen are only to flag when the ball goes out of play. Apparently it was commonplace for referees to do this, thus making the role of the "assistant referee" pretty much pointless.

 

[The Wizard]

easily offended crew should be along soon with the thread title

I realised I’d f**ked up as soon as I posted and consigned myself to a torrent of abuse but it seems I have escaped the NSC pedant army

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Linespeople do what they are told by the FA - which is exactly the opposite of what we, the fans, want them to do.

 

[zefarelly]

In an ideal world linesman would do what it says in the book, so would refs. No one else would be involved.

If Refs did exactly what was in the book, most games would end 8 a side or get abandoned. ( pushing/pulling/hugging/swearing/diving/simulation etc )

Ctrl Alt Delete needed doing some years back. Its too far gone now, Having run the line a fair few times in recent years, seeing kids (U10-U14) behaving like the 'pro's' they see on TV, and getting away with it, tells you all you need to know.