I am going to start a campaign for a scientist to be a guest pundit on TV football shows. At minimum someone who has a basic grasp of geometry and perspective. I am fed up of so-called experts saying that a camera angle shows conclusively that a ball was over a line when it clearly (yes clearly) does nothing of the sort.
I am irritated to my few remaining back teeth of TV analysis declaring, after half a dozen replays that a player was clearly offside. Clear offsides don't need half a dozen replays to pronounce. If a player is only offside by the sort of fraction you can only tell after six viewings then he is onside. Drogba was not 'clearly offside' yesterday.
The rules also state that offsides are judged from the moment a ball is kicked. Super slo-mo replays are then used to 'show' the truth. But what is 'the moment the ball is kicked'? Although our eyes see one sharp movement the slow motions often demonstrate that the foot remains in contact with the ball for a while. Is 'the moment' the moment the boot touches the ball or the moment the ball leaves the boot. The receiver may have moved half a yard in that time.
I am irritated when a manager complains of inconsistency. Fact is, when a player breaks the rules he may be punished (like you or I may get a speeding ticket if we speed). Rule breaking risks the penalty. Sheffield United may have conceded a penalty in soft circumstances on Saturday but it was a foul to hold Gerrad back.
What about a foul on the edge of the box where the player falls in the box? If the first contact is outside the box but contact continues on into the box why not give the fouled player the advantage of a penalty?
Neil Warnock accuses some referees of having no common sense. I fear that too many football managers have only football sense.
I'm off for my medication now.
3 comments:
'thing is Steve, it's a game of two halves and the team with more goals after ninety minutes is likely to be the winner.
People were complaining that Gerrard talked the referee into giving him a penalty before he had given it. Is that better or worse than players rushing up and convincing the referee after their player has gone down in the box and the ref appearing to change his mind?
Mike, you just don't gwt it do you? Chris I have never see a referee change his mind in my life. Give examples.
I chatted to a guy in the pub the other night and he owned up to being the one who had sent an email to Match of the Day about parallax error which they quoted. So although they were dismissive of it on the night they did read it.
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