International

Video replays now a rule in football!

With 10 minutes to go in the World Cup final, FIFA has effectively introduced video replays as a rule in football. What madness is this? It was obvious the referee and linesmen didn't see the offence by Zidane and that means they CAN'T send him off! Video evidence and observations from other officials cannot be considered until after the game. Those WERE the rules, but in supposedly the most important game of football in the world the rules are not just bent but broken. Otherwise we would have had the appalling sight of a man who committed a blatant headbutt possibly taking a penalty to win the World Cup - now how bad would that have been?

As the rules stand, if the officials didn't see the offence, Zidane should have stayed on. Whatever we think of his actions the officials have got this wrong - and maybe it just shows how unsatisfactory the rules are. I think FIFA has just effectively set the precedent though - video replays now exist for making decisions DURING a game. Discuss?

One of the officials saw it-they just bottled the situation IMHO-but were it true taht none saw the event Fifa have just made it up AGAIN as they go along-and as a result are really starting to loose face-as for the video evidence,as you say they have just opened the door.

But I heard some FIFA bod on the radio this morning claim the fourth official saw the incident with his own eyes, and not from a monitor. Don't know wether to believe that but I s'pose they have to say it for exactly the reasons above.

They claim it was the fourth official that made the call for Zidane to be sent off but why was this same procedure not used for Figo?

Where was it shown that the linesman didn't see the incident, all 5 officals were in communication with each other therefore there is no need for the officals to come over and talk to each other or for the linesman to raise his flag. In this incident the ref just confirm woth the linesman before issuing the red card. A correct decision.

You don't know if to believe that yet you seem to believe the conspiracy theories on this thread.

But I heard some FIFA bod on the radio this morning claim the fourth official saw the incident with his own eyes, and not from a monitor. Don't know wether to believe that but I s'pose they have to say it for exactly the reasons above.

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The ref went over to the linesman who told him what had happened. Seems pretty obvious to me.

No I'm not a conspiracy theorist mate, but come off it, do you really believe FIFA is above talkling a little bulls**t when it suits them? The real mystery i'm dying to know is what the hell he said to ZZ?

I think that it's somewhat poetic that a dismal World Cup, in which the beautiful game was smothered by underhand cheating, diving and negative tactics, was concluded by the wild and inexplicable actions of a man who has been the epitomy of the beautiful game over past decade.

As if to say that football has been so badly damaged by this World Cup that even the memory of Zidane, football's great ambassador of skill and talent, has now been tarnished. The moment represented the ultimate indication that football has transcended from an artform into a ugly fracas.

His headbutt was the cherry on the icing of a foul tasting cake. An action to rub salt into the wounds of football enthusiasts such as myself who expected so much from this World Cup but were in the end bitterly disappointed.

Not really Bath. Its always been the case that the ref can take action based upon what any of the officials see, including the 4th official. Thats the same as it has always been.

But they ARE saying it was the fourth official that called it. I still think that means they've opened the floodgates.

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i cant remember which game it was when the referee kept changing his decisions about the corner kicks.it might have been the england game against portugal. Thinking about it , it looks suspicious now.