
Days after the black Sunday, Leonard Thomas, the sports editor of TODAY urged the FAS to make a bold initiative by implementing the use of video-referee at the matches to address this nagging issue (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 decided to push ahead.
Logistical
Soon expensive equipment have to be installed and more manpower will have to be deployed on match days if the league authority decided to give the go-ahead.
Are we ready for this in the unfavourable financial climate when prudence is the key?
Time
The game has to be halted should the referee decided to consult the video referee.
Time must be added on to compensate the loss of time incurred due to the pending of a decision and flow of the game will be disrupted.
Thus, the game would have to end at the later time and local fans have every right to grumble over that if the game end at 11pm on a weekday (you can't rule that out).
Other than that, some media outlets may have to think thrice before cover some of the matches, if the match ended past the scheduled slot as they would much lesser time to file their stories.
Dilution of credibility of referee?
If the particular referee is someone who is indecisive and consistently let the technology made the decisions on his behalf, therefore, his credibility will be called into question.
So would it lead to situation that some referee would push some of the crucial decision making to the video-referee?
Not always fault-proof
Beside the malfunctioning of the equipment we may have to deal with during the game, the use of video cameras as judge may have its own restrictions.

If an alleged foul is being committed at a spot where the camera not able to capture, how long would the discussion over this offence lasts without causing unnecessary time wasting?
At the end of the debate, it must agree that use of such technology should be seen as a compliment not taking over as the role of arbitrator of the game.
Nonetheless, before we start talking about install those 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.
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.
ReplyDeleteOne 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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
Cannot blame ref. ppl Pay $5 peanuts & expect quality.
ReplyDeleteFirst
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
Hi "roq"..
ReplyDeleteIMO, 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.
".. and his opinion is that referee nowadays are largely lack of diplomatic skills and level of "firmness" when dealing with players."
ReplyDeleteBRAVO! CLAP CLAP!