technology

[Pape Diop 0]

Do you think that the introduction of a second referee in the stands who could view replays, would eliminate all mistakes or slow the game down and make it less exciting?

[a1canary 0]

Technology for penalty decisions only. Here''s the scenario:
A fourth ref watches the game on the screen, very carefully!
Player goes down in the box.
Ref makes a snap decision to give it, not give it, or if, and only if, he''s not sure, blow up and refer it to the fourth official.
The fourth ref, who has been watchin closely, has a quick look in slo mo from another angle and gives a decision nice n quick to the ref.
Sorted!

"Ulf ulf ulf ulf" - to the baggies baggies boing boing dance!! The greatest single syllable player chant there''s ever been!! I was there, at Bramall Lane about 6 years ago when he scored the winner in an oh so rare 3-2 away win! We chanted it all the way home!!! "Ulf ulf ulf ulf ulf!" Way better than the only similar chant these days of: "ooooooooooooo" used for Kanooooooo, Roooooood, Mutoooooooooo or originally, at West Ham, Abooooooooooo!

[Carrow89 0]

This is absurd and shouldn''t even warrant discussion never mind consideration.

The ref is as much part of the game as are the players and should be subject to the same warts and all fallibilities.

It is nonsense to suggest you could have an appeal system. Football is a continous game and does not have the facility to stop every minute or so. It is also ludicrous to think that a completely fair decision could be made by a fourth referee. How many times have you seen and incident on TV and still not been able to decide ? how many minutes would be allowed. What would happen if a later examination proved the fourth official to be wrong ?

You would not be able to contain the ''replays'' to penalties alone. Offsides, handballs, ball crossing the goal line, raised elbow - the list would become endless.

What would happen if a referee made a decision that was subsequently proved to be wrong after the game by a replay because he did not go to the fourth official over the decision ? Very quickly every decision would then be refered to the fourth official to cover the ref.

The game would degenerate into a meaningless shambles with the only winners being the TV companies who are behind this repeated attempt to destroy our game.

I for one don''t wish to spend an extra hour watching constant stoppages and appeals.

For anyone who does I suggest they turn to wrestling or american football both of whom share the same distance from real sport as would our game were it ever to contemplate such a destructive action.