This past weekend in the Barclay’s Premier League there were a number of controversial results directly tied to offsides decisions. And in each of these situations, replays showed that the offsides decisions made by the linesmen in-game were incorrect:
Manchester United defeated nine-men Chelsea 3-2 on a 75th minute strike from Javier Hernandez who was in an offsides position before scoring. This was after the Blues were incorrectly reduced to nine-men by the sending off of Fernando Torres for suspicions of diving. Replays clearly showed that Hernandez was offsides and Fernando Torres didn’t dive.
Liverpool were held 2-2 in their derby match against Everton after Luis Suarez’s game winning goal in stoppage time was disallowed by the linesman who incorrectly ruled the play offsides. Replays clearly showed that Suarez was onsides.
Arsenal crept past QPR 1-0 after Mikel Arteta scored the game’s only goal in the 84th minute from an offsides position. Replays clearly showed that Arteta was offsides.
The cliché around soccer and sport in general is that refereeing is “an impossible job” and because referees and linemen are prone to simple human errors, they deserve some level of sympathy when they do in fact make the wrong decision. Often times it is said that this is just part of the game and we as fans have to learn to live with it when things don’t go our way … Or do we?
For a league as grand as the Barclay’s Premiership, games deserve to be decided by moment of brilliance and deft skill, not simple human errors! I simply don’t buy the argument that offsides decisions and goals scored from offsides positions are just part of the game, especially given the day of age we currently live in. For each of us, technology is a part of everyday life and I see no reason why it can’t play a more influential role in soccer.
Now to be fair, the International Football Association Board (I.F.A.B.) is taking steps to come into the modern era through the implementation of goal-line technology to the game of soccer. This past July, the I.F.A.B. recommended to FIFA to allow the implementation of two technology systems that will help referees determine if the ball fully crossed the goal-line. At a cost of approximately $200,000 per stadium, once implemented the Hawk-Eye and Goal Ref systems will help referees determine whether or not the entire ball crossed the goal-line (see below):
Although this landmark decision will help with disputed goals which have marred the sport at its highest levels for years (see England v. Germany in the 2010 World Cup here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV4nc_sjW9Y), I believe that soccer can go on step further in its use of technology to help the game.
In a manner similar to the NFL, soccer should have a replay official who reviews all goals scored. His job above all is to spot goals scored from offsides positions, which will help to alleviate the pressure that linesmen currently feel to get it right.
In the time it takes to restart the game after a goal is scored, this replay official could in theory radio in to the referee and linemen that the goal scored was from an offsides position. In a matter of merely seconds, goals scored from offsides positions that change the dynamic of a game would be correctly nullified and big decisions that change the landscape of a season like the ones made this past weekend would be reduced.
In closing, the argument that these things even themselves out over the course of a season is at best bull-s*** and at worst horse-s***. Chelsea are currently atop the table but now only lead by one point. QPR is at the bottom of the table after being robbed of a potential one point that could be the difference between them staying up or going down. And as for Everton, that one point they stole from Liverpool currently keeps them in 5thplace ahead of Arsenal for a Europa League spot.
These decisions this past weekend, which I believe would have been avoided with the implementation of replay technology, will have dramatic implications for the remainder of the season. Without the further implementation replay of technology, referee and linesmen will continue to be at risk and undermine the integrity of the beautiful game we all currently enjoy … Okay that last line was a bit melodramatic I admit but you catch my drift!
