Skip to main content

Video Referee - not always the BEST but viable, however....

Leonard Thomas, the sports editor of TODAY urged the Football of Association of Singapore (FAS) to make a bold initiative by implementing the use of video at the matches to address this nagging issue
Sad for the fact that a negative story as such will hit the front pages and common folks would then take notice of the local game for the wrong reasons.

Days after black Sunday, Leonard Thomas, the sports editor of TODAY urged the Football of Association of Singapore (FAS) to make a bold initiative by implementing the use of video at the matches to address this nagging issue (pictured above).

However, one must bear in mind that using such technology may not necessarily solve the issue overnight.

Furthermore, several factors need to be taken care of should the league authority decide to push ahead.

LOGISTIC ISSUES

Soon expensive equipment have to be installed and more manpower will have to be deployed on match days if the league authority decides to give the go-ahead.

Are we ready for this in the unfavourable financial climate when prudence is the key?

ADDITIONAL TIME TO BE INCURRED

The game has to be halted should the referee decide to consult the video referee.

Time must be added on to compensate for the loss of time incurred due to the pending decision and the flow of the game will be disrupted.

will Singaporeans be willing to wait for a pending decision like in Rugby?
(Picture credit: Guardian) will Singaporeans be willing to wait for a pending decision like in Rugby?

Thus, the game would have to end at a later time and local fans have every right to grumble over that if the game ends at 11pm on a weekday (you can't rule that out).

Other than that, some media outlets may have to think thrice before covering some of the matches, if the match ended past the scheduled slot as they would have much less time to file their stories.

DILUTION OF CREDIBILITY OF THE REFEREE?

If the particular referee is indecisive and consistently lets the technology make the decisions on his behalf, therefore, his credibility will be called into question.

So would it lead to a situation in which some referees would push some of the crucial decision-making to the video referee?

NOT ALWAYS FAULT-PROOF

Besides the malfunctioning of the equipment we may have to deal with during the game, the use of video cameras as the final decision-maker may have its own restrictions.

the video judge failed to deliver a convincing judgment on Jarryd Hayne's disallowed try and caused NSW to lose to their arch-rivals Queensland in this year's Rugby League marquee event - State of Origin match
(Picture credit: Foxsports) For this instance, the video judge failed to deliver a convincing judgment on Jarryd Hayne's disallowed try and caused NSW to lose to their arch-rivals Queensland in this year's Rugby League marquee event - State of Origin match (I saw it on TV!)

If an alleged foul is being committed at a spot where the camera is not able to capture, how long would the discussion over this offence last without causing unnecessary time wasting?

At the end of the debate, it must agree that the use of such technology should be seen as a compliment not taking over the role of arbitrator of the game.

Nonetheless, before we start talking about installing that pricey equipment, shouldn't we look into the root problem that we are all facing now - the quality of refereeing in Singapore football that had been the ignition point that led to those unpleasant incidents on Sunday.

Comments

  1. hey come on!! once installed, u kill football la pls! and i agree with u pohui, we should look into the base of the problem, referee quality. not only to focus on that sunday game, most of the games. shame la like this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. One thing I do notice and hopefully not a common trait from now on is that the referee is starting to lose the authority over the players.

    I still remember the old days of Shamsul Maidin, Abdul Malik Bashir and the lanky one with skin pigmentation disorder (Kenny Perraira or something) were no nonsense men in black which the players just had to adhere to their call.

    Now there are more and more younger referees who made some ludicrous call during matches, some hotly contested which someone once told me resembles the chaotic level found in the annal region of NFL Division 3 where brawling is common.

    Last night one Sengkang Punggol player blatantly clapping at the referee's weak response to a foul on him...surely signs are cracking over the respect the officials had on the players and I can't say I blame the players to be truthful

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cannot blame ref. ppl Pay $5 peanuts & expect quality.
    First
    None of the refs in spore is a full-time(u can check). Shamsul maidin was a full-time as an exec in fas.

    2nd
    The EPL, serie A all had a full-time refs long ago.
    The EPL refs even breakaway from the FA and constructed a private organisation called PGMOL.

    If the playin style of players in the league is shit, so does the ref.
    Nw the power is money

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi "roq"..

    IMO, having full-time ref doesn't mean the referee quality will improve necessarily (was that ref who awarded 3 yellow cards in a game a full-timer?).

    Spoke to former referee not that long ago and his opinion is that referee nowadays are largely lack of diplomatic skills and level of "firmness" when dealing with players.

    Furthermore, he said in his days it would took 7-8 years before one would qualify as a FIFA referee, unlike 2-3 timeframe now.

    and to "fishoutofwaterspfc", the referee you mentioned was S Kennedy, who was also a former player himself.

    This being a global problem that once those current of referee hit the mandatory retirement age, the younger ones aren't ready for the big stage to take over.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ".. and his opinion is that referee nowadays are largely lack of diplomatic skills and level of "firmness" when dealing with players."

    BRAVO! CLAP CLAP!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

While I allow comment/feedback to be posted using Anonymous mode but comments containing discrimination of race, derogatory terms and seditious remarks will NOT be tolerated and will be deleted, if necessary, at the blog owner

Please do not abuse it, thanks

And the blog owner WILL not be responsible for comments by visitors except those of his own

All comments are subjected to moderation and publish upon determination, thanks

Thank You for your kind attention

Ko Po Hui

Please Check Out These Posts Below Before You Leave

The "Russian Tank" of Singapore Football - Borhan Abu Samah

National Day Challenge 09: Singapore 1-1 China (China beat Singapore on penalties)

1977 "Friday The 13th" Stampede at Kallang

Singapore's 1987 "Malaysia Cup" Squad