Zambo, you are the ref.

[Reg]

One of the many terrible refereeing performances that I’ve grumbled about this season was the Palace-Arsenal game, when Lee Mason allowed Coquelin to get away with numerous fouls, booked him, then allowed him to get away with two more blatant yellow card offences. At this point he told the Arsenal captain to make sure Coquelin was substituted, or he would be sent off.

Last week against Watford something similar occurred. At a dead-ball situation, Troy Deeney spoke to the referee and told him that he was being held. The ref then whistled for the kick to be taken, and awarded a penalty for holding Deeney.

Now, as everyone aways says, if every holding offence was penalized, you’d have dozens of penalties every game. But fair enough, it was a foul, and as long as he was consistent, no one could complain.

But later on the same thing occurred in the opposite penalty box as a corner was about to be taken. Instead of allowing the kick to be taken and awarding a penalty, he went to the Watford defender and told him to stop holding - despite the fact that awarding a penalty earlier should have served as a pretty clear warning already.

My questions are:

Are refs allowed to intervene by asking managers to sub players, even after they should already have been sent off?

And is the inconsistent behavior in the Watford game justified? Surely he should have either warned both teams, or awarded a penalty to both sides.

[Zambo]

One of the many terrible refereeing performances that I’ve grumbled about this season was the Palace-Arsenal game, when Lee Mason allowed Coquelin to get away with numerous fouls, booked him, then allowed him to get away with two more blatant yellow card offences. At this point he told the Arsenal captain to make sure Coquelin was substituted, or he would be sent off.

Last week against Watford something similar occurred. At a dead-ball situation, Troy Deeney spoke to the referee and told him that he was being held. The ref then whistled for the kick to be taken, and awarded a penalty for holding Deeney.

Now, as everyone aways says, if every holding offence was penalized, you’d have dozens of penalties every game. But fair enough, it was a foul, and as long as he was consistent, no one could complain.

But later on the same thing occurred in the opposite penalty box as a corner was about to be taken. Instead of allowing the kick to be taken and awarding a penalty, he went to the Watford defender and told him to stop holding - despite the fact that awarding a penalty earlier should have served as a pretty clear warning already.

My questions are:

Are refs allowed to intervene by asking managers to sub players, even after they should already have been sent off?

And is the inconsistent behavior in the Watford game justified? Surely he should have either warned both teams, or awarded a penalty to both sides.

1. Absolutely not. Referees have no power to decide who should be subbed for any reason whether it be for misconduct or injury.

2. If the ref spots holding and grappling before the restart of play, he should deal with offenders before the retake. If he spots it after the ball has been kicked then a free kick should be awarded and any other disciplinary action taken. Problem is there is a great deal of inconsistency and many refs let it go.

[Verum peto]

One of the many terrible refereeing performances that I’ve grumbled about this season was the Palace-Arsenal game, when Lee Mason allowed Coquelin to get away with numerous fouls, booked him, then allowed him to get away with two more blatant yellow card offences. At this point he told the Arsenal captain to make sure Coquelin was substituted, or he would be sent off.

Last week against Watford something similar occurred. At a dead-ball situation, Troy Deeney spoke to the referee and told him that he was being held. The ref then whistled for the kick to be taken, and awarded a penalty for holding Deeney.

Now, as everyone aways says, if every holding offence was penalized, you’d have dozens of penalties every game. But fair enough, it was a foul, and as long as he was consistent, no one could complain.

But later on the same thing occurred in the opposite penalty box as a corner was about to be taken. Instead of allowing the kick to be taken and awarding a penalty, he went to the Watford defender and told him to stop holding - despite the fact that awarding a penalty earlier should have served as a pretty clear warning already.

My questions are:

Are refs allowed to intervene by asking managers to sub players, even after they should already have been sent off?

And is the inconsistent behavior in the Watford game justified? Surely he should have either warned both teams, or awarded a penalty to both sides.

1. Absolutely not. Referees have no power to decide who should be subbed for any reason whether it be for misconduct or injury.

2. If the ref spots holding and grappling before the restart of play, he should deal with offenders before the retake. If he spots it after the ball has been kicked then a free kick should be awarded and any other disciplinary action taken. Problem is there is a great deal of inconsistency and many refs let it go.

If the ref spots holding and grappling before the restart wouldn't it be permissible to give the offender a yellow card. Then if they were stupid enough to continue, before or after the restart, they would be off. Applied consistently, a vain hope I know, it would cure the problem in no time at all.

[Zambo]

One of the many terrible refereeing performances that I’ve grumbled about this season was the Palace-Arsenal game, when Lee Mason allowed Coquelin to get away with numerous fouls, booked him, then allowed him to get away with two more blatant yellow card offences. At this point he told the Arsenal captain to make sure Coquelin was substituted, or he would be sent off.

Last week against Watford something similar occurred. At a dead-ball situation, Troy Deeney spoke to the referee and told him that he was being held. The ref then whistled for the kick to be taken, and awarded a penalty for holding Deeney.

Now, as everyone aways says, if every holding offence was penalized, you’d have dozens of penalties every game. But fair enough, it was a foul, and as long as he was consistent, no one could complain.

But later on the same thing occurred in the opposite penalty box as a corner was about to be taken. Instead of allowing the kick to be taken and awarding a penalty, he went to the Watford defender and told him to stop holding - despite the fact that awarding a penalty earlier should have served as a pretty clear warning already.

My questions are:

Are refs allowed to intervene by asking managers to sub players, even after they should already have been sent off?

And is the inconsistent behavior in the Watford game justified? Surely he should have either warned both teams, or awarded a penalty to both sides.

1. Absolutely not. Referees have no power to decide who should be subbed for any reason whether it be for misconduct or injury.

2. If the ref spots holding and grappling before the restart of play, he should deal with offenders before the retake. If he spots it after the ball has been kicked then a free kick should be awarded and any other disciplinary action taken. Problem is there is a great deal of inconsistency and many refs let it go.

If the ref spots holding and grappling before the restart wouldn't it be permissible to give the offender a yellow card. Then if they were stupid enough to continue, before or after the restart, they would be off. Applied consistently, a vain hope I know, it would cure the problem in no time at all.

A yellow, definitely, particularly if he has spoken to the offender before. If it's a first offence then holding is usually dealt with with a warning in the first instance if the ball is not in play. However for e.g if a defender holds down an opponent who looks like getting to the ball after the kick as been taken, then a definite yellow imo. This has got completely out of control though, and has led to much inconsistency.

It came up as a talking point after Mike Dean gave a pen at Newcastle for holding. It was suggested that if refs spot holding before the kick is taken, then they should do nothing, then if it still goes on after the kick has been taken, then give a pen. This would no doubt be a deterrent, but refs have only themselves to blame for not penalising the offence consistently.

[Zambo]

FIFAs new law to reduce the delay in getting games restarted quicker after fouls, and to encourage players to make their own way from the filed of play when they are injured, instead of lying down pretending to be unconscious waiting for the physio to come on.

[Verum peto]

PSG v M/c City.
Did I hear Howard Webb say that he was already losing possession so it couldn't be a penalty?
A correct decision? I always thought a foul was a foul irrespective of the ball.

[Zambo]

Howard Webb is dick. If the ball is in play when a foul is committed then a free kick should be awarded. Possession has fuck all to do with it.

So if the ball is in one penalty area and someone kicks an opponent in the other the ref should allow play to continue. Wanker.

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

All ref decisions should be retrospectively analysed and ANYTHING deemed incorrect in ANY WAY WHATSOEVER should result in prison time for the offending ref and full refunds for anyone who has ever paid sky or bt any money ever.

[Zambo]

All ref decisions should be retrospectively analysed and ANYTHING deemed incorrect in ANY WAY WHATSOEVER should result in prison time for the offending ref and full refunds for anyone who has ever paid sky or bt any money ever.

I'd go further, and hang the cunts. They have ruined much of the Premier League this season. There have been countless occasions when they have been match changing and result changing cock ups, particular with pens not given when they should have been and given when they shouldn't. It doesn't help when you have twats like Webb, a former selector group performance director, talking shite.

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

YES. Let's start fresh at ground zero by killing all current refs and replacing them with people who know what the fuck is going on i.e. rappers

[Zambo]

For anyone interested, a good blog here from Keith Hackett. He nails every point. I wish to fuck he was still PGMOL manager, he would be sorting the cunts out. Carroll shouldn't have been on the pitch to score the goals which gave West Ham a point, and how can you have ex players and managers, who spent a lot of their time flaunting the laws of the game, assessing referees. Bonkers.

http://you-are-the-ref.com/hacketts-blo ... rotection/

[Verum peto]

Another serious question for you. You may guess which ex-referee I am quoting.
How much contact does there have to be for a free kick/penalty to be given.
After a push - there wasn't enough contact for it to be a foul.
Isn't a push a push.

[Zambo]

Another serious question for you. You may guess which ex-referee I am quoting.
How much contact does there have to be for a free kick/penalty to be given.
After a push - there wasn't enough contact for it to be a foul.
Isn't a push a push.

I was again very surprised to hear Howard Webb talking absolute bollocks on this today during the Norwich Sunderland game. Of course a push is a push and should be penalised. The incident he was talking about looked a clear penalty, as the player jumped and was obviously in a good position to head the ball, he was nudged forward and he missed it. The amount of force is irrelevant, particularly when a player is deprived of progress when in possession of the ball or likely to take possession.

Webb seems to have a bee in his bonnet about this, and whilst football is a contact sport, players should not be using their arms, hands or bodies to force opponents off the ball. He needs putting straight, but it is amazing that he needs to be.

[Zambo]

Other countries refs admin is obviously in a shit state as well.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/ ... 53127.html

And the danger of being a match official. An incentive for improvement perhaps.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/101ggvideo ... hce-video/

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/a ... drew-blood

[Petingo]

I am loving the penalies and bookings for Shawcross and Wee Reem.

Hopefully they are now serious about stopping the free for all that ensues every time a corner kick is taken