As the new clinician for my local officials association, this week has given me three very different and interesting clips that will generate a great deal of discussion for future meetings. The Everton-Man United offside/no offside call. The Nashville-Atlanta keeper handling. The foul/no foul clip shown above This is probably my experience playing American football coming into play, but for me contact with the plant/support leg is going to lean more toward the harsh end of possible sanctions. A punter, place-kicker, and even a placekick holder are in vulnerable positions where contact can result in quite a bit of force coming in for players without a lot of support and balance. When a kicker is following through and has his plant leg taken out, that presents a number of potential issues. Even if a defender gets the ball, I'm more inclined to call a foul in the games I work if there's decent contact with the plant leg. All of the points mentioned by MassRef are very valid, and they should be taken into consideration. My example shows that we'll all have some personal experience (if not bias) that will influence calls like this.
"Top six" matches: Liverpool - Man City (Community Shield): Atkinson Man Utd - Chelsea: Taylor Man City - Tottenham: Oliver Liverpool - Arsenal: Taylor Arsenal - Tottenham: Atkinson Chelsea - Liverpool: Oliver Man Utd - Arsenal: Friend Man Utd - Liverpool: Atkinson Liverpool - Tottenham: Taylor Chelsea - Man Utd (Carabao Cup): Tierney Liverpool - Arsenal (Carabao Cup): Marriner Liverpool - Man City: Oliver Man City - Chelsea: Atkinson Man Utd - Tottenham: Tierney Man City - Man Utd: Taylor Arsenal - Man City: Tierney Tottenham - Chelsea: Taylor Arsenal - Chelsea: Pawson Arsenal - Man Utd: Kavanagh Man Utd - Man City (Carabao Cup): Dean Liverpool - Man Utd: Pawson Chelsea - Arsenal: Attwell Man City - Man Utd (Carabao Cup): Marriner Chelsea - Man Utd: Taylor Chelsea - Tottenham: Oliver Chelsea - Liverpool (FA Cup): Kavanagh Distribution of these matches in the EPL so far: Taylor: 6 Oliver: 4 Atkinson: 3 Pawson: 2 Tierney: 2 Attwell: 1 Friend: 1 Kavanagh: 1
Kavanagh with the quick turnaround from Sunday Everton-ManU to the Tuesday Chelsea-Liverpool FA Cup 5th round. I don’t remember something like that occurring unless in the Christmas/New Years fixtures. This is stranger because there had to be some folks available who didn’t get a game over the weekend who could be trusted on the Chelsea match.
Matchweek 29 Liverpool - Bournemouth Referee: Paul Tierney. Assistants: Stuart Burt, Constantine Hatzidakis. Fourth official: Mike Dean. VAR: Michael Oliver. Assistant VAR: Andy Halliday. Arsenal - West Ham Referee: Martin Atkinson. Assistants: Lee Betts, Sian Massey-Ellis. Fourth official: John Brooks. VAR: Kevin Friend. Assistant VAR: Simon Beck. Crystal Palace - Watford Referee: Anthony Taylor. Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn. Fourth official: Darren England. VAR: Stuart Attwell. Assistant VAR: Stephen Child. Sheffield - Norwich Referee: Simon Hooper. Assistants: Derek Eaton, Mark Scholes. Fourth official: Michael Salisbury. VAR: Lee Mason. Assistant VAR: Ian Hussin. Southampton - Newcastle Referee: Graham Scott. Assistants: Neil Davies, Richard West. Fourth official: Andy Woolmer. VAR: Peter Bankes. Assistant VAR: Andy Garratt. Wolves - Brighton Referee: Andre Marriner. Assistants: Scott Ledger, Simon Long. Fourth official: Jeremy Simpson. VAR: Chris Kavanagh. Assistant VAR: Peter Kirkup. Burnley - Tottenham Referee: Jonathan Moss. Assistants: Marc Perry, Eddie Smart. Fourth official: Andy Madley. VAR: Craig Pawson. Assistant VAR: Andy Halliday. Chelsea - Everton Referee: Kevin Friend. Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Simon Beck. Fourth official: Graham Scott. VAR: Martin Atkinson. Assistant VAR: Lee Betts. Man Utd - Man City Referee: Mike Dean. Assistants: Darren Cann, Dan Robathan. Fourth official: Anthony Taylor. VAR: Andre Marriner. Assistant VAR: Stephen Child. Leicester - Aston Villa Referee: Michael Oliver. Assistants: Daniel Cook, Simon Bennett. Fourth official: Chris Kavanagh. VAR: Paul Tierney. Assistant VAR: Harry Lennard.
"Top six" matches: Liverpool - Man City (Community Shield): Atkinson Man Utd - Chelsea: Taylor Man City - Tottenham: Oliver Liverpool - Arsenal: Taylor Arsenal - Tottenham: Atkinson Chelsea - Liverpool: Oliver Man Utd - Arsenal: Friend Man Utd - Liverpool: Atkinson Liverpool - Tottenham: Taylor Chelsea - Man Utd (Carabao Cup): Tierney Liverpool - Arsenal (Carabao Cup): Marriner Liverpool - Man City: Oliver Man City - Chelsea: Atkinson Man Utd - Tottenham: Tierney Man City - Man Utd: Taylor Arsenal - Man City: Tierney Tottenham - Chelsea: Taylor Arsenal - Chelsea: Pawson Arsenal - Man Utd: Kavanagh Man Utd - Man City (Carabao Cup): Dean Liverpool - Man Utd: Pawson Chelsea - Arsenal: Attwell Man City - Man Utd (Carabao Cup): Marriner Chelsea - Man Utd: Taylor Chelsea - Tottenham: Oliver Chelsea - Liverpool (FA Cup): Kavanagh Man Utd - Man City: Dean Distribution of these matches in the EPL so far: Taylor: 6 Oliver: 4 Atkinson: 3 Pawson: 2 Tierney: 2 Attwell: 1 Dean: 1 Friend: 1 Kavanagh: 1
It could be a regular week off. It could be that he did a Sunday-Tuesday set of games. But I do find it a little interesting that Kavanagh has no center or 4O assignments this week following the controversy of ManU-Everton last week.
??? Leicester - Aston Villa Referee: Michael Oliver. Assistants: Daniel Cook, Simon Bennett. Fourth official: Chris Kavanagh. VAR: Paul Tierney. Assistant VAR: Harry Lennard. PH
Here we go again...another VAR controversy. Bournemouth goal given after a clear foul by the attacker was ignored. Par for the course now, I suppose. PH
OFR in Southampton to upgrade yellow to SFP red. I think that’s a first, right? Didn’t take too long given this is brand new for English referees (foul 25:55, red shown 27:37) but definitely room for improved efficiency. VAR also called a penalty. No OFRs there still.
Watching how those lines get drawn in ARS - WHU makes me even more confident that the way MLS handles things with respect to offside VAR decisions is a best practice.
This was probably as a result of the clearly missed SFP/VC incidents over the recent weeks. It is good that OFR is being used, but you have to ask why they thought it was a good idea not to allow it until now. It should have been used in the LIverpool match today also. PH
Not the first one, I remember Paul Tierney used an OFR to upgrade a yellow to SFP red on Aubameyang a while back.
Right. I knew there was one. But all I could think of was the Son VC (before OFRs were allowed for straight reds) and then the cases where there should have been interventions but weren't afterward.
Leagues around the world, especially this year’s EPL, would be well served to follow the XFL’s example.
Anybody watching the Manchester Derby? There was a VAR non-review of a clear and obvious error (whatever the hell that is) for a penalty and instead a yellow for simulation. It’s a penalty.
Was the reassigned person involved in the decision making? I'm also not in favor of one strike and you're out. I'd rather identify why an error was allowed to stand, and determine what needs done to rectify it. If procedures were not followed, that may justify reassignment. If they were followed, then the procedures need updated and officials notified/trained as appropriate. The big thing is how do you know that the guy replacing the reassigned guy isn’t going to make the same or a different mistake?
I completely disagree, and I think the commentators were making a much bigger deal out of that than there was. I think that call was spot-on. There was contact, but it looked to me like it was minimal, had no effect, and once the attacking player was through it, he flopped. It just doesn't pass the eyeball test for me.