World Cup referee standards

[Ori]

Having watch so many games, I’m wondering if anyone else thinks the standard of referees is lower than normal. I mean it’s been low for many tournaments ever since blatter offered referee positions in World Cup for votes to keep him in power, but it seems lower than normal.

The last France game was a disgrace in officiating. With no disrespect meant, a referee from Uzbekistan league has no place at this level. I would say that there are many referees on this forum who would do a better job.

FIFA is corrupt and I don’t mean in the sense of rigging matches (I wouldn’t put it past them), but the whole thing stinks from where they appoint the competition to and to how it’s run and the money they make out of it as a “non profit”.

 

[Archer]

An issue with any tournaments of this nature is that the 30 (?) referee teams selected aren’t the best 30 in the world, because of the global spread.

 

[ARF]

The overall standard was always likely to be slightly lower than previous tournaments given that there are 52 51 referees for this one compared to 36 previously, but taking the France-Paraguay match out of the equation, I don't recall any other horrendous performances.

As for the disrespect towards Uzbekistan, Ravshan Irmatov was one of the top referees in the world for a decade despite 'only' refereeing the Uzbek League. I suppose Marciniak can't be much good if he 'only' referees on the Ekstraklasa? Damir Skomina couldn't have been much good either, refereeing on the PrvaLiga...

 

[es1]

An issue with any tournaments of this nature is that the 30 (?) referee teams selected aren’t the best 30 in the world, because of the global spread.

Is the right answer

 

[Ori]

The overall standard was always likely to be slightly lower than previous tournaments given that there are 52 51 referees for this one compared to 36 previously, but taking the France-Paraguay match out of the equation, I don't recall any other horrendous performances.

As for the disrespect towards Uzbekistan, Ravshan Irmatov was one of the top referees in the world for a decade despite 'only' refereeing the Uzbek League. I suppose Marciniak can't be much good if he 'only' referees on the Ekstraklasa? Damir Skomina couldn't have been much good either, refereeing on the PrvaLiga...

It’s not a disrespect to him personally. The league he referees is nowhere near the level of a European league or even American league.
It’s like me claiming I can ref a premier league match given that I referee an amateur league.
I would love the chance, but no way am I remotely qualified.

You can always find anomalies of a ref from a remote league who does well, but overall the refs in the World Cup should be from best leagues in order to maintain a high standard.

Again you missed the corruption point on how blatter used to bargain referee awards to nations in order to secure votes.

 

[Archer]

It’s like me claiming I can ref a premier league match given that I referee an amateur league.

We've all read your posts, mate.

 

[Ori]

We've all read your posts, mate.

Haha. Even then I still wouldn’t claim I could do a better job than the worst ref at the comp.

 

[DavidObs]

Having watch so many games, I’m wondering if anyone else thinks the standard of referees is lower than normal. I mean it’s been low for many tournaments ever since blatter offered referee positions in World Cup for votes to keep him in power, but it seems lower than normal.

The last France game was a disgrace in officiating. With no disrespect meant, a referee from Uzbekistan league has no place at this level. I would say that there are many referees on this forum who would do a better job.

FIFA is corrupt and I don’t mean in the sense of rigging matches (I wouldn’t put it past them), but the whole thing stinks from where they appoint the competition to and to how it’s run and the money they make out of it as a “non profit”.

That’s a big statement to make saying FIFA is corrupt & is a word in my world that is banded about too often whether it be FIFA, FIFA Referees (or PL & Premier League Referees) & without any proof other than a below par performance or a strange decision, or in the case of FIFA (not in respect of Blatter) because of seat prices, sponsorship deals, tv rights etc. I actually feel that overall, the standard of Referee has been ok, with some below par performances as well as some very good.

 

[Ori]

Is the right answer

Which begs the question….why have they made it bigger?

 

[Ori]

That’s a big statement to make saying FIFA is corrupt & is a word in my world that is banded about too often whether it be FIFA, FIFA Referees (or PL & Premier League Referees) & without any proof other than a below par performance or a strange decision, or in the case of FIFA (not in respect of Blatter) because of seat prices, sponsorship deals, tv rights etc. I actually feel that overall, the standard of Referee has been ok, with some below par performances as well as some very good.

I think corruption in fifa has long been well established. I always defend referees. Even the best have an off day like anyone anywhere.

I stand by my point that we should only have the best referees in this tournament and I fail to see how refereeing in say the Qatar league can in anyway make you qualified to ref a World Cup.