Meet the 'ref czar' Former EPL ref Peter Walton is on a mission to improve North American refereeing There's a mention of 2022 again, another indication of MLS's "ten-year plan" (or vague hopes).
First, I think that it's great that someone is trying to address the issue (US Soccer, MLS, other?) are trying to tackle the issue (pun intended). In the past, the quality of play followed by quality of officiating where prime areas of dissatisfaction in watching MLS Games. Due to multiple reasons (expansion and loss of some experienced officials), I would have to say that my number one issue with MLS is the quality of officiating. Unfortunately, there are very few games in which I don't feel the official is inconsistent. Also, rather than saying that the officials are sometimes "naive", I think that they lack an understanding of soccer at the higher levels. However, I think that one issue not mentioned in the article is the direction provided by the MLS. Couple of years ago, we heard that "too many fouls were being called" and MLS was going to direct the officials to call only those fouls which give one team an advantage more than the other. Well, we got shirt pulling, shoving, and other so called ticky tak fouls which impact the flow of the game just as much as the fouls that were previous being called. I'd rather see the fouls being called and persistence used to give yellow cards and start sending a message to the players.
I'm disappointed with this article. He thinks the way to develop the refs is by throwing them in the fire, working MLS games so they can develop the Feel. That's too ethereal for most Americans. If that's the direction coming from the top of the professional referee organization, then we're looking at even worse refereeing over the next 2 years (at which point the MLS will insist on a new executive). That's my prediction.
Well, for one, I think that English refs do a better job of communicating with players during games. I like, for example, that an English ref will typically talk to a player that he's booking to tell him exactly what he did to warrant the card, before showing it. I HATE seeing a ref just flash the card at the back of a player running away from him. They also tend to not tolerate the more demonstrative dissent that refs in other countries do. I REALLY HATE how MLS refs tend to just wade through a huddle of bitching players swarming around like gnats after a call. I would love to see MLS refs act more like English refs in both of those cases. I'm not sure if this guy will teach these things, but I hope so.
I was referring to the referee czar = the top executive of the professional referee organization. Peter walton, The subject of this thread.
Peter Walton was a pretty good ref too. I am excited about this change. this could really change refereeing in America over the next decade. we could have some more FIFA refs who are American and maybe end up as a 4th official at the world cup in Qatar or maybe in 2026. Its about time we have that.
You mean like Kevin Stott, who was a 4th official at the 2006 World Cup? Or Brian Hall who was the center ref in two games at the 2002 World Cup? Just because there were no American refs in South Africa doesn't mean we're so far behind that we have to wait until 2022 or 2026 to get a ref at the World Cup.
Um ... are you serious? 1982 and 1986: David Socha 1990: Vinnie Mauro - http://www.socceramerica.com/article/7356/dire-referee-shortage-on-horizon.html 1994: Arturo Angeles 1998: Esse Baharmast - http://www.canoe.ca/SoccerWCNews/jul10_ref.html 2002: Brian Hall (one of the few who DIDN'T suck) Maybe you're kidding, or maybe you're just referring to the lack of U.S. officials in the last two Cups, but just in case people had forgotten, I figured I'd make the list. And I stumbled into an interesting analysis suggesting Mark Geiger could make the 2014 cut: http://footballrefereeing.blogspot.com/2012/05/2014-world-cup-prospective-list-of.html
whoa whoa whoa sorry. I am saying the world cup final. I would love to see an American ref the world cup FINAL. like the final game. sorry! I have confused everyone. I mean come on to ref during the world cup game? that doesnt take that much. we all remember Coulibaly oh do we ever.....
Dude, come on. You're going to see an American reffing the final about the same time you see the American TEAM in the final. Actually, you might see the team there sooner. Both might be "never", and that's ok - that's the reality of world soccer. I'd settle with just having American refs at the tournament on a regular basis. More than one would be a big step up.
I'd agree. They'll save the final for refs who've done "big games" -- and that usually means a fair share of EPL, Serie A, Champions League, Copa Libertadores or something similar in addition to the usual international fare.
Usually that's true, but sometimes circumstances work out so that people you wouldn't expect get big games. In games between countries from different confederations, FIFA won't appoint a referee from either confederation. If a European country plays a South American country, FIFA will appoint a ref not from those two continents, which excludes the refs who have done those big games. This is the scenario which allowed American Mark Geiger to ref the U-20 WC Final last year.