Yes, it is going to be that old chestnut yet again I'm afraid, that is do we or don't we introduce video replay into football? It's certainly been back in the news again recently, the bizarre goal that never was at Watford, a couple of sending-offs in the Premier League, plus some dodgy penalty decisions as well, usually at Old Trafford. The reason I'm going to drag it up all again is that I'm not a big rugby fan in either code but I watched the Rugby League semi-final eliminator between Leeds and Wigan eight days ago. Video referees have been on the go in that sport for ten years now, and whilst I am for them to a degree in football, there have obviously got be limitations on how long they are allowed to take to make a decision. You see, in the Leeds game, video referee Ian Smith remarkably took over five minutes to decide that the Yorkshire side hadn't scored a try, with the commentators saying, while he was umming and aahing, that there is actually no time limit on the official. I wasn't the only one getting bored waiting for him to make his mind up either as an understandably frustrated crowd started to boo as soon as he looked at yet another camera angle. This is where the system used in American Football through the NFL works better, with the referee of the game going to look at a pitchside camera and having only 60 seconds to make a decision. The replay rule there being that both teams are allowed two challenges per game, if they are successful then they keep one of their three timeouts per half, if they are unsuccessful then they lose one of their timeouts, if they are successful twice then they gain a third challenge. Now I'm not going to bore you any more than I usually like to in this column, but, suffice to say, there are only certain things that a coach is allowed to throw his little red flag on the pitch about. That list is pretty extensive to be honest but it at least means that even the most trivial thing can't be challenged. So, we have a system here then where you are only allowed to challenge certain things, you are only allowed a set number of challenges per game and the referee only has a set time in which to make his decision. Looking at it that way I honestly don't see why we couldn't bring it into football, obviously some things need tweaking because of the difference in the two games but those can be easily sorted out. Firstly, only allowed to challenge certain things, well that's fine by me, let's have our list as - has the ball crossed the line for a goal, was it a penalty or wasn't it, and was that a sending-off or not (only for straight red cards). It's not as if many of things happen in a game anyway, even more so when you think that of the ones that do happen in matches some of them aren't worth challenging anyway. Secondly, only allowed a set number of challenges per game, well I've just said that these things don't often happen so let's allow each team one challenge per half. Thirdly, the referee is only allowed a certain amount of time to make his mind up, so let's make that 60 seconds from the moment he gets to the replay camera, I don't see how you could need any more that. A traditional complaint of bringing video replay into football is that you are going to be stopping and starting the game, well you won't if you bring it in with the rules of it are like I have suggested. Anyway, the ball is often only in play for about two-thirds of the game so it's not as if we're not used to not seeing any action on the pitch. Four challenges of a minute per game maximum, and unlikely, a minute each to get to the camera and back, that's what eight minutes at the very, very most per game? I suppose people might complain that you need to have it all levels of the game or not at all, but I wouldn't have a problem with having it in the Premier League and Football League only, after all they are the only fully professional parts of the game. That only leaves the hurdle of our old pal Sepp Blatter to leap over, but I think we'll leave that problem for another day, so I shall now sit back and await your wrath and disagreement. |