Domestic Leagues 25-26

Level as in standard of quality in terms the referees' work. So a lengthier paraphrase would be "This is the low quality of officiating you guys provide during the game and then you go and complain (about player and coach behavior) afterward at the press conference."

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/s/cELfRTd2Wm

Mateu Lahoz has spoken about the celta-Madrid referees performance lol

 

32 years old and quite new to the top division. Very interesting to see how his assignments go from here.

 

AC Milan vs. Como in Australia to go ahead - Serie A chief - ESPN

The proposed Italian league game between AC Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, scheduled for Feb. 8 will go ahead with Asian referees officiating, Serie A president Ezio Maria Simoncelli has confirmed.
Simoncelli acknowledged the encounter was in doubt because of conditions set by the Asian Football Confederation, which included the use of referees as opposed to Italian.

 

The NFL is technically a domestic league so I figured this is the best place to put this comment. For those who didn't see it, the Pittsburgh-Detroit game today (played in Detroit) ended on a final play where it appeared Detroit scored the winning touchdown but there was a flag on the play. After a ridiculously long discussion the official turned on his mic to confirm that a touchdown was scored on the play. At this point the stadium erupted making it almost impossible to hear the rest of the announcement, that the flag was on Detroit which resulted in a penalty and the end of the game, the touchdown did not count.

All I could think is that they really needed Filip Dujic and his HOWEVER there to make the announcement.

 

I immediately thought of this as well while watching.

The "zebras huddled up" is where football referees get the majority of the criticism, but in their defense that play was a good example of why it is unfortunately necessary.

In soccer, the foul happens and *usually* the play is immediately dead. In football, you've got multiple fouls and you've got to work through order of operations to figure out what comes first and what takes precedence.

 

For all of FIFA's issues with VAR, there's more transparency with what goes on in the background than there is in the NFL and who is really making the call.

There's growing suspicion that the rules analyst in Thursday night's game tipped off the guys in the office that they botched the two-point conversion, which would explain why so much time went by before the kickoff. It would be like Joe Machnik tipping off VAR or the Asst VAR that they missed an obvious hand ball during their mandatory water break in the opening game of the World Cup.

We've even gotten to hear the terse conversation two months ago between the Serie A referee and VAR and the entire video transcript of the botched restart a few years ago in a Premier League match. In the NFL, this would never happen as they still operate in a secretive world.

 

Yes, but it’s well known that “New York” (league HQ) will assist on calls and that’s allowed in the rules.

 

Yes, everyone is aware of that.

The issue is game commentators apparently chiming in to New York and the lack of transparency on video reviews compared to VAR in soccer.

 

A text-book example of when AR assistance is required for DOGSO decisions. Start at 55 seconds if it doesn't load.

 

Anyone remember when Tori Penso also pulled the “however” in the opposite direction?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAOhbQ2RhQz/

 

I think I need to go get State Farm. Oh, wait, maybe that was just an ad before the incident started....

First look I have nothing with it difficult to tell how close the defender was to the play when the keeper pushed him to the ground. I'm also wondering why the attacker slide in like that. I paused at 0:12 and see this.

 

Unfortunate scene after Al-Taawoun vs Al-Shabab game. Abdullah Matuq spat at the referee after full-time

VAR was checked, the referee called him back from the dressing room, and showed him a straight red 🟥

A six-month suspension is expected

pic.twitter.com/sSYf31FvCg

— All About SPL 🔔 🇸🇦 (@Saudifutbol) January 10, 2026

 

Yes, let's bring back the guy who spit towards me so I can issue a red card in front of the public and possibly get my head bashed in.

He needs VAR to be informed he was spat towards when he's staring at him? Do any of these guys have any self esteem, regardless of which domestic league they're officiating in?

 

Can you imagine if they weren't in 1st place:

Antonio Conte was shown a red card for his reaction to Inter Milan being awarded a penalty 🟥 pic.twitter.com/wzaNzIMJoo

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) January 11, 2026

 

How does you know the ref was staring at him? The camera doesn’t show the ref when the spit happens.

 

In this morning's Como/Torino match in Serie A, the defender slides in an attempt to block a shot/cross and it rebounds and hits his leg and then his arm, which in my opinion, is in the position it should be for a slide tackle. VAR recommends a review, the CR looks at it and agrees.

There doesn't seem to be consistency on this type of play. Are we going back to the era when Esse Baharmast taught that this is indeed a PK since you’re “taking a risk” by sliding in the first place and we were never told? How high is your arm not supposed to be on a slide tackle or is it subjective? Is it irrelevant that it hit his leg on this play (and if so why)? When you go down to block a shot, your arm is rarely going to be by your side as it is when you're standing:

The play happens at 3:16 of the video:

 

I have handball here. The arm isn’t in a natural position at all, even for sliding. It creates a barrier that stops the ball from going further into the penalty area. The only difficult part is the deflection off the defender’s body and whether the ball changes direction enough to constitute a successful block. In my opinion, it does not, because the ball is still getting past the defender and moving further into the penalty area despite the small deflection.

 

I'd take it a step further.....there's no consistency on much of anything because so many calls are, in fact, somewhat subjective.

And that's where VAR has really failed.....it's set up the expectation that near-perfect consistency is possible if questionable calls can be reviewed by a second set of eyes. Heck, one of the biggest points of inconsistency is which plays result in an OFR and which don't.

 

https://bsky.app/profile/sickosfc.bsky.social/post/3md7ovxhy2s2e

 

The R has already made it ceremonial—the player should know that means he can’t take it quickly. Would love to know what was said. Very few refs have rabbit ears when walking away to set the wall, and very few refs are quick to give a second dissent card immediately afrer the first. While all the attention goes on the ref, this feels like an entitled prima donna who “knows” he can’t take say whatever he wants after the first dissent card. (I’d also like some context in the moments immediately before the clip—was there anything to suggest the R was too quick to make it ceremonial—based on where the player wanting to kick it is standing, it doesn’t feel like that from the limited clip.)