Tokyo 2020 Olympic Referees & Discussion [R]

Went back and watched this. It's a really weird/interesting one for a lot of reasons.

I'd actually start by disagreeing with @sulfur to the extent that Alves "wisely used the delay." I mean, she has to do that. She'd be crucified if there was a waiting recommendation from the OFR and she didn't handle it until after the injury was cleared. To that end, I actually think the recommendation took too long to make. The VMOs had enough information to make the recommendation much earlier than they did. It would have been better if Alves could have left the scene of the injury much quicker after getting the medical personnel on to start the OFR, rather than lingering for a decent amount of time and then going. It would have made the award of the penalty a little less surprising (if it was--that part was hard to tell) and the whole thing would have been more seemless.

At the monitor itself, I've got to say I like how she was being very clear about what angles and speed she wanted/needed. I think she was a little too focused on the slo-mo at one point, but it's still better to have a referee new to VAR directing the process rather than having it orchestrated for them.

Once the decision is made, it is tricky and your suggestion is not without merit. Just like you don't card a player on the ground, I think one could argue there might be value in an unwritten rule about not calling a VAR penalty against a goalkeeper who is still potentially seriously injured and being treated. At minimum, her formal style of making the signal off-field and calling it just wasn't necessary, but again, I think a lot of that has to do with a referee who is new to VAR and the mechanics. So, how do you deliver the penalty decision? I think a lot of it could be done privately. Honestly, in MLS and other leagues, the 4th knows what's going on because he's on the comms and is often letting the more aggrieved coach what is happening or likely to happen so that he can get ahead of issues. I could see a scenario where the fourth informs the coaches the restart is going to be a penalty and Alves lets the captains or nearby players know. Then everyone knows what to expect and the signal itself can be made once the injury is dealt with. However...

The only real reason not to make the signal is to not disrespect the injured player in a stadium environment and prompt thousands of fans to cheer or jeer while she lay injured. Here? No fans. So, is it really a problem? Not in this case, honestly. I think the lack of spectators makes the way she handled it fine (with quibbles as noted above). But yeah, that same exact scenario in a match with 60,000 people? Referees need to be instructed well in the best ways to proceed.

I will also note that the lack of much protest over the initial decision illustrates some of the big differences from the men's and women's game at this level. Generally, you see less dissent (though that does not always hold true). But specifically to VAR, a men's team would be asking for it and about it there; the women aren't used to it, so those habits haven't been developed yet. I think that fact--that Japanese players weren't asking for intervention--is another reason why this all felt a little weird, too.

 

I think you've lost me here. Is the suggestion that a partially injured goalkeeper would be more likely to sub out if there's a PK? Or less likely? I think I reject the premise either way.

But perhaps more to the point, if that information would affect a coach's decision, why should it be hidden from the team? It's the next restart. Both teams should always know the next restart. Now that I read both of your posts, I don't think I'm following what the issue would be.

The mechanics and public conveyance of the decision are all very interesting. But if the idea is the restart decision should not be divulged until a decision on a substitution is made... no, absolutely not.

In addition to the principle I'm expressing above, there's actually a technical reason why that can't happen. Substitutions are not allowed while a VAR check or an OFR is occuring. Because what if an OFR leads to a red card? It's not hard to imagine a scenario like this where the goalkeeper gets sent off after the OFR. And now you just allowed her to be substituted before you conducted the OFR. See the problem?

 

Jovanovic had 12 yelllows (including one 2CT), Barton had 7 (six to Germany, including a 2CT) and Conger had a 90+7' red card to a substitute who came on about 5 minutes earlier.

Sounds like there's some fun stuff to go watch from the first day of the men's tournament.

 

100% correct.

I don't think so and I don't even like the foul going against Germany there, but Richarlison's reaction probably pushed it in that direction.

Correct.

Correct. Though mechanics can be debated.

I don't see it from that clip. Barton also panics a bit by saying there was a push to justify the DFK coming out, but he needed to find a way to get out of the handball and I think you can say there is a foul (just not a push).

If those are the 5 big KMIs, looks like he did very well.

I have heard Jovanovic was perhaps not quite as lucky--or good.

 

Now that I think about it, I guess the big issue here is the first caution on the 2CT. It just registered that 35’ is the incident in question. I think Barton gave that yellow for the foul by the German, not for the “accidental stomp.” And I just don’t see it. The foul seems like it’s on Brazil. Do I have that wrong?

A player must know he’s on a yellow and that’s not an excuse for the second one. But when evaluating the overall performance if the first caution of a 2CT is wrong, that’s relevant.

 

Fair enough.

 

It is going to be fascinating to watch how Jovanovic responds both at this tournament (if he gets a chance) and in UEFA going forward. Quite simply, that is the type of moment and game that can break a referee. He's reached the Olympics, after FO duties at the EUROs, has his moment to shine at a FIFA event and has a poor game puncuated by an "unforgiveable" mistake that was entirely of his own making.

This is where so many of the off-the-field intangibles like character, integrity, perserverance, humility, etc., come into play. Anyone can blow a whistle. And anyone can make a mistake. How he reacts, responds and hopefully recovers from a situation like this plays a huge role in whether or not he's toiling in the Europa League for the next few years before fading off the scene or if he's doing late round UCL matches and whistling at the next EURO. The UEFA graveyard is littered with the names of referees who made it to about the exact place Jovanovic is now without ever making that final leap to being a trusted UCL knockout referee and EURO/WC referee. This is now a fork in the road for him.