[U.S. REACTION] U.S. players were livid with Malian referee Koman Coulibaly for his call that disallowed Maurice Edu a potential winning goal in its 2-2 tie with Slovenia.
referees
Posted inSpecial Edition, Story
Soccer has a secrecy problem
[MY VIEW] The USA scores what looks like its third goal for an incredible comeback victory over Slovenia. Referee Koman Coulibaly rules nogoal. Why? The players don’t know nor do the coaches. Nor do 45,573 fans in the stadium, nor hundreds of millions watching on TV. It’s the ref’s little secret and just one more […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
New yellow-card rule: Good for the game
[MY VIEW] Two yellow cards in two games still result in a one-game suspension, but FIFA has changed the stage at which a player’s yellow-card slate is wipedclean. The new rule on accumulated yellow-card suspensions was designed to prevent stars from missing the final, but it could have an even deeper impact on the tournament. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Uruguay coach laughs at Parreira's criticism
South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira blasted Swiss referee Massimo Busacca after Bafana Bafana’s 3-0 loss toUruguay left them on the verge of elimination. The Brazilian questioned Busacca’s decision to award a penalty and send off goalkeeper ItumelengKhune for bringing down striker Luis Suarez in the second half. Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarezresponded by saying Parreira’s […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
My World Cup: Referees get it right
By Paul Gardner Half of the 32 World Cup teams have now strutted their stuff, and most of them have been singularly unimpressive. The awful truth behind thisdisappointment is that I am the one to blame for all the caution and the defensive play that we have — and hence the lack of goals. My […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
When a ref … be ready!
By Randy Vogt You have been assigned to referee three games this Saturday and two on Sunday. The referee who physically trains for these games and watchesofficials during other soccer matches will most likely be a good deal more successful than the person who does not think about these assignments all week until putting on […]
Posted inStory
Toughest World Cup job: opening game ref
By Paul Gardner A week to go for World Cup kickoff. A time of mounting excitement — and a time of mounting anxiety and nervousness. Nowhere can those last twoqualities be more pronounced than among the World Cup referees, the 30 officials selected to take charge of the 64 games. For the moment, 63 of […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Five refs in big games
Two extra assistant referees will used in next season’s UEFA Champions League final qualifying round and Euro 2012 qualifiers as UEFA extended its five-referees experiment. The Europa League, whichexperimented with the five-ref system last season, will continue it as well. The system adds two extra linesmen, one behind each goal, to help referees spot penalty […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Will soccer heed doctor's orders?
By Paul Gardner Just over a week ago I was talking of the refereeing clampdowns that invariably accompany each World Cup, wondering what would be clamped down on this time. Well, there’s good news. It comes from Dr. Michel D’Hooghe, theBelgian who is the Chairman of the FIFA Medical Committee, and his target is violent […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
FIFA doc wants crackdown on bad fouls
FIFA medical chief Michel D’Hooghe wants referees at this summer’s World Cup in South Africa to crack down on players who commit dangerous tackles and plans to give refereesplenty of instruction and warning. D’Hooghe said, “We will specifically tell our referees and let everyone know” to use the red card as soon as a career-threatening […]