| Yesterday, Thierry Henry escaped being punished for | | | | Remember Anders Frisk, the soccer referee from |
| his infamous handball offence in the 2010 World Cup | | | | Sweden in 2005 after the contentious match |
| finals playoff against Ireland. | | | | between Barcelona and Chelsea in the Champions |
| FIFA claims that they are 'powerless to punish the | | | | League? He was forced to quit after some poor |
| 1998 World Cup winning striker because their rules | | | | decisions made that caused Chelsea to lose the |
| forbade them to do so if the original misdemeanor | | | | eventual tie. In his own words, ''it's not worth carrying |
| had not been seen by the match officials.' | | | | on....My safety and the safety of my family goes |
| For an organization that can demand up to $100million | | | | before anything else. These last few weeks have |
| dollars of broadcasting rights from any country for | | | | been the worst of my life.'' Soccer lost a very good |
| the coming World Cup in South Africa, it is indeed a | | | | referee that day. Can we blame him? Or the Jose |
| fiasco to be deemed 'powerless' under such | | | | Morinho who led that publicity assault against his poor |
| circumstances. The fact is that, this kind of | | | | performance? FIFA has got to take a significant part |
| controversy will not be happening if only FIFA | | | | of the responsibility as well. |
| adopted what so many other professional sports has | | | | The scary thing is that this type of anti-referee stuff |
| adopted, that is make use of video replay technology | | | | is also taking shape at the youngest age groups. |
| to assist their soccer referees to referee their | | | | Refereeing resources are already tight, and at the |
| games. Only the highest rungs in FIFA and God will | | | | lowest and youngest level of competitive soccer, |
| know what is keeping the most populous game | | | | young players and managers are also learning from |
| adopting technology to improve the game. | | | | what they see on television to openly challenge the |
| Many traditional critics argue that refereeing in soccer | | | | soccer referee's decisions and cause disputes. It has |
| should remain status quo, so that the human error | | | | become acceptable to lambaste the referee whether |
| aspects of the game remain as part of the game. At | | | | he made the right or wrong call, depending on which |
| the very top, FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, is a | | | | side you supported. This does not speak well of the |
| strong opponent to using any technology to assist | | | | game. What kind of sportsman ship are we teaching |
| the soccer referee. In this modern age, traditional | | | | our youths? What kind of refereeing standards do |
| people like Blatter ought to be replaced to move the | | | | we hope to raise if the soccer referees' job continue |
| sports forward. | | | | to be the loneliest one in the world? |
| In truth, FIFA can be held responsible for all the | | | | FIFA will always support the soccer referee's |
| refereeing controversies that has ensue over the last | | | | decision, right or wrong. But this kind of backing does |
| century. Things got worse in the last two decades | | | | not offer practice support for referees at all levels. |
| after instant video replay technology allow television | | | | What referees need is an understanding from all that |
| to broadcast all poor refereeing decisions immediately | | | | they are human and that they can make mistakes. If |
| to the world to see. How can you blame managers, | | | | these mistakes can be rectified at the right time in a |
| players and fans from becoming enraged when they | | | | match through technology and appeals, the footballing |
| see a legitimate penalty been denied by soccer | | | | crowds will not become overzealous in condemning |
| referees? Or a poor offside decision by the soccer | | | | poor refereeing standards. Technology allows that to |
| referee that led to the eventual game winner? | | | | be done, but sadly, authority does not. Wake up |
| Worse, all these refereeing decisions has led to real | | | | FIFA, before someone really gets killed because of a |
| instances of life and death, when referees who made | | | | poor refereeing decision. It should not come to that |
| crucial mistakes received death threats and are | | | | stage. Football is a beautiful game after all. |
| forced retire. | | | | |