Comments on: Lyon vs. Le Havre AC

By: ursus arctos

ursus arctos — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:07:40 +0000

My view is that the introduction of any system has to be gradual in order for it to succeed.

Why not just start with “was it a goal” decisions. If video review avoided one Reading/Watford incident, it would immediately gain credibility.

I also completely agree about post-match review being more than sufficient for disciplinary questions. There is no need to interupt the match in those cases.

By: Megame

Megame — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:19:33 +0000

Such a joker system would be a transposition of what is going on in tennis, where players have a limit to the Instant Replay Challenges (of the referee’s call) they can ask for.
Another possibility to reduce the cases to where they matter most is to leave it up to the referee and in cases of dubious goals only, like in rugby. If the referee is comfortable with his or his assistant’s judgement then he doesn’t require it. For any other cases (fouls, fights, etc..) unseen by the referees, a commission is currently being set up for the French League 1 who will watch the games in the following days and possibly call for sanctions for the players. So there will be justice without stopping the game for a replay.
To me such the best is probably allowing the referee to call for replay when needed in case of a goal only while reviewing the games during the following week. I am not so much in favour of allowing the teams coaches, captains or whoever else to challenge a referee’s decision.

By: ursus arctos

ursus arctos — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:49:40 +0000

Jo, I think it is definitely worth trying, though if the initial idea is only to use video in cases where the question is whether a goal was scored, then it shouldn’t be necessary.

A, I was only quoting your prior post. Why don’t you engage with some of the proposals on this thread?

By: Jo

Jo — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:37:30 +0000

I think my “joker” solution actually is a good idea.
But I guess everybody cannot agree with that.

By: A.

A. — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:30:31 +0000

It’s possible to achieve it partially (it’s actually much more so than you care to admit). It’s happening right now. All games are played with 11 a side plus three human officials.

Don’t throw the football baby out with the fifa bathwater. Besides I haven’t heard one good idea on how to actually implement videos by its proponents in the first place.

By: Megame

Megame — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:48:39 +0000

To me the idea is nice but slightly idealistic, and above all not too relevant in this debate. Again, looking at rugby, I fail to see how video refereeing damaged this “universality”. In the areas where people play rugby, they still need a ball and four posts, that’s it.

By: ursus arctos

ursus arctos — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:04:25 +0000

How can one adhere to an important principle that is impossible to acheive even partially?

By: A.

A. — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:59:22 +0000

Universality is an important principle to adhere to, even if it isn’t possible to achieve it absolutely or even partially.

Certainly more important than the pursuit of ‘justice’ in a one off competition via the pandora’s box of videos.I wouldn’t be surprised should people start clamoring for retrospective amendments to titles on video evidence. Replay of 66WC final anyone?

By: ursus arctos

ursus arctos — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:27:26 +0000

I strongly agree that the “universality” argument is rubbish.

Most of the organised football played in the world is played on pitches without grass, and much of is played with officials that are either supplied by the competing teams or hopelessly under-trained and under-paid. To say that those matches are played under conditions identical to those of the finals of the Champions League or World Cup is to insult the intelligence of the people who play and love this sport.

By: Lonesome Johnny

Lonesome Johnny — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:55:58 +0000

Arne-

My first European football match was OL-Grenoble this year; I can tell you that you’ll pick up the chants really easily as they’re very simple… often a player’s name or “OL” or “Lyonnais” sung to the tune of a song you’ll recognize, or something as simple as “Ben-Ben-Benzema”.

The other piece of advice I’d give is to do any eating and/or drinking before you go. Stade Gerland isn’t like your typical North American stadium experience with a hundred nacho/popcorn/hot dog/Dippin’Dots/pretzel/beer stands. There’s a stand selling some sad-looking sandwiches and cokes, and that’s about it. If you want to buy any OL gear, do so at the store across the street before you go into the stadium (or better still, the less-crowded downtown store near Place de la Republique so you can arrive at the match already decked-out).

Be prepared to remain standing and singing the entire time…