I met the ref assesor for the Chelsea game last night

Originally Posted by Billy Baroo

cole was on the linesman side

hth

so what?

rooney was on the other side. ball was being played from 40 yards from the defensive line. cole was stepping up. rooney was charging in the opposite direction. very difficult to spot if rooney was offside or not and hence defenders always get the benefit of the doubt.

Originally Posted by rafabio

so what?

rooney was on the other side. ball was being played from 40 yards from the defensive line. cole was stepping up. rooney was charging in the opposite direction. very difficult to spot if rooney was offside or not and hence defenders always get the benefit of the doubt.

i thought the rule was supposed to be interpreted as the attacker getting the benefit of the doubt

when the ball is played he would have to see Rooney having advanced beyond Cole which is clearly impossible

Cole gives him a very close eyeline across the pitch from which to judge from

i am not saying they are never wrong but in this instance I feel a bit sorry for him. put yourself into his position.

you look at the ball being played and then look at rooney. at this point ( even 1 sec late ) rooney would be 2 yards ahead of cole because of cole stepping up and rooney charging through. its very difficult to spot that, trust me. And by instinct you always go to with the defensive line. That's why irrespective of laws, defenders will always get benefit of the doubt, because in effect while making the decision the linesman think the attacker is in offside position ( they don't have doubt!! )

I think the thing about assessing referees is that they should be given a bit of leeway with tough calls, things happen really fast and are not always as clear-cut as they seem on the telly.

The worrying thing though is when they can watch a perfectly fair challenge over and over and still get it wrong. Physical contact will no longer be allowed at all in 10 years the way its going.

Originally Posted by Zorg

I think the thing about assessing referees is that they should be given a bit of leeway with tough calls, things happen really fast and are not always as clear-cut as they seem on the telly.

The worrying thing though is when they can watch a perfectly fair challenge over and over and still get it wrong. Physical contact will no longer be allowed at all in 10 years the way its going.

Abso-bloody-exactly

Originally Posted by Charlie Harper

and as Drogba didn't touch the ball on the way in, they would have all said he was inactive and the goal should stand.

There's not a goalkeeper alive who wouldn't take issue with that. VDS had to freeze while Drogba flicked his foot out. If he hadn't been there, he could have started his dive earlier and possibly got to the ball.

I can understand 'inactive' if the player is eight or ten yards from goal, but Drogba was inside the six yard box.

Originally Posted by Grimson

There's not a goalkeeper alive who wouldn't take issue with that. VDS had to freeze while Drogba flicked his foot out. If he hadn't been there, he could have started his dive earlier and possibly got to the ball.

I can understand 'inactive' if the player is eight or ten yards from goal, but Drogba was inside the six yard box.

Spot on. I too thought that was a ridiculous suggestion. How can a player not be interfering whilst stretching for the ball right under the keeper's nose?
Ffs.

Originally Posted by Charlie Harper

I started the course the decade ago, but stopped when I moved, and it turns out by pure co-incidence that one of my neighbours is the assessor (in the original post) and a very prominant ex-ref.

A few mates have been wearing black for over a decade: one did the course but never took any games - just to get tickets to the FA Cup Final; one is doing County games just to keep fit, another was very promising but left: he was runing the line in a Conference game 5-6 years ago and at half-time, had a go at the ref for being unfit and getting a lot of decisions wrong. My mate got scored a 2/10 for his contribution, so he complained that he was being downgraded out of spite. When the FA did £#%&! all, he quit - the FA are struggling to keep hold of anyone who wants to do the job so didn't want to cause any trouble. As it turns out, the ref my mate complained about is now doing Championship games and is expcted to make Premier League in 1-2 years. :shakehead:

I am happy that I know the rules as it makes it easy to ignore a lot of the bullshit that gets written and broadcast by so-called professionals. The book only costs a couple of quid and if I ruled the world, nobody would by allowed to watch the game without passing a test in the laws. That way, we wouldn't have the likes of Jamie Redknapp, Andy Grey, Alan Green, Spoony et al, not to mention the morons that call in to Five Live.

Know what you mean there, Andy Gray is baffling particularly when he has a go at a ref or assistant for getting something right because he reckons they couldn't possibly have seen they got it right
I do think refs should be more accountable and have to give post match interviews etc and I think players would give them more respect if they confessed to the odd £#%&! up now and again

Originally Posted by Grimson

There's not a goalkeeper alive who wouldn't take issue with that. VDS had to freeze while Drogba flicked his foot out. If he hadn't been there, he could have started his dive earlier and possibly got to the ball.

I can understand 'inactive' if the player is eight or ten yards from goal, but Drogba was inside the six yard box.

exactly

how can you be inactive when you're trying to get a foot on it two yards out right in front of the keeper???

I'm over it.

Originally Posted by rafabio

I still don't agree you can blame the linesman for offside decision. it was touch and go. as rooney was running through the defense, cole was stepping. its very difficult to see the ball, defensive line and the attackers at the same time. even with a second's difference, it always appears that attackers are in offside position and hence practically always benefit of doubt lies with defenders.

A study done a few years ago (I think Loughborough Uni) showed even the best human eye is going to take 0.5 seconds to re-focus from one part of play (e.g. ball being played) to the next (player breaking the offside trap) - in that time quick players can look 5 yeards off when they've timed the run perfectly.

Armchair - I'm over it too. Just thought it's interesting to hear what the refs think about a team performance and attitude and comparing it to how much grief Atkinson got from Fergie and players over the game.

When Winter, Poll and the others go on TV to explain their opinion of the decisions, it is just that - their opinion. Except it's not biased in favour of one team, but in the interpretation and understanding of the laws of the game which apply equally to both teams.

Originally Posted by Charlie Harper

A study done a few years ago (I think Loughborough Uni) showed even the best human eye is going to take 0.5 seconds to re-focus from one part of play (e.g. ball being played) to the next (player breaking the offside trap) - in that time quick players can look 5 yeards off when they've timed the run perfectly.

intersting that. pretty much in line with my thoughts

Originally Posted by Charlie Harper

He says the Fletcher / Cole tackle was discussed this week - it was a 50:50 split between the refs that watched it on calling it a foul or a good tackle. Nobody would have picked up on the foul on Jonny Evans in the build-up to the Terry goal, and as Drogba didn't touch the ball on the way in, they would have all said he was inactive and the goal should stand.

(a) fletcher clearly won the ball fairly and cole jumped like a £#%&!ing cat (b) it was brown who was fouled and (c) drogba wasn't even offside, so what £#%&!ing difference does it make whether he was active or inactive? useless £#%&!ing @#%&!s. 50/50? they should have phoned a £#%&!ing friend.

Originally Posted by rafabio

I still don't agree you can blame the linesman for offside decision. it was touch and go. as rooney was running through the defense, cole was stepping. its very difficult to see the ball, defensive line and the attackers at the same time. even with a second's difference, it always appears that attackers are in offside position and hence practically always benefit of doubt lies with defenders.

I was dead level with the last man and it obviously onside. the linesman was in a better position and still £#%&!ed it up. the advantage is meant to go rooney unless it is clearly offside. it wasn't. he's a useless @#%&!.



and if these were the only decisions they £#%&!ed up these posts would have more credibility.

maybe you could go and talk the assessor for the game at anfield as well and see what £#%&!ing excuses they come up with that balls up.

Originally Posted by MUFC One Love

I love it how refs are fed up with the United players for always complaining even though there are loads of teams worse than United for complaining to refs all the time.

...and who are the reason for our players always complaining?

steve bennett has an assessor.

Originally Posted by jem

drogba wasn't even offside, so what £#%&!ing difference does it make whether he was active or inactive?

Went back and had a look and sure enough, you're right. Just after Terry gets his touch, Drogba's even with Evans (who, of course, Drogba had dragged to the ground.)

except it was brown he pulled over.

I'm always right. the sooner everyone just accepts that, the happier we'll all be. :0)