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ANSWERS FROM THE REF...
"Welcome all to my new feature "ASK THE REF". Before I begin to
answer your questions I would just like to confirm the following
points:
1. Yes, I am a wanker but it doesn't make me a bad person does it? I
bet you do it as well.
2. My parents were married before I was born.
3. My local optician in the "Clevey" can vouch that I do visit on a
regular basis.
4. My labrador was given to me by kind courtesy of the "RNIB".
I would also like to point out the rules of this feature.
A. I am always right... whatever anybody thinks.
B. Any technical questions regarding the Laws of the Game designed to
'catch me out' will be treated with total disdain.
C. No answer given by me should be construed as a personal attack on
the person asking the question. If this situation occurs, it will have done purely for literary
enhancement and my own personal pleasure.
D. In the event of any doubt please refer to Rule A.
Question one from ErimusRed
Graham, how are ya Mate? Welcome to the site Marra!
What is the official FA stance on players who dive to gain advantage? Do you initially warn them, give them three chances or produce a yellow
immediately?
It appears to me that it's descretionary as there seems to be
no consistent standard to rid this blight from the game.
The Ref Says...
Thanks for that kind welcome Erimus. I wanted to call my racehorse that but the bastards wouldn't let me have the name.
Great question to start my new feature. The actual terminology they use in the laws in relation to this cancer within in the game is "simulation". If a referee considers a player has simulated an action designed to gain an advantage to his side then he shall be yellow carded, whether it was his first offence or not.
Sometimes it is very difficult to detect this type of offence but the basic guidance given was in relation to any contact or not. If as a referee you were certain that no contact had occurred then you were very likely to be issuing a card, but if there was any doubt whatsoever that there might have been contact, however slight, then you were more likely to allow play to continue but still let it be known to the player with a quiet word that you were 'on his case' and would be watching his future actions. Hope that clears it up for you.
Question two from ErimusRed
Graham, I want your opinion, as well as what your colleagues
generally think, about the use of visual and electronic aids being
introduced into the "modern" game, specifically compared to other proven
technology already in use in other sports, i.e cricket, rugby, tennis.
Do you think it would diminish or enhance the refereeing team's control
and respect on the park?
The Ref Says...
Technology in football. I think that whatever happens in the future to introduce it, then we have to be very careful that we don't alter the speed and fluidity of our English game because that is what makes it so popular all over the world.
Cricket, rugby and tennis have much more natural stoppages which can be used check out decisions. Most games, in this country at least, are fast flowing, end to end encounters - except when visiting the Bar Codes or Deckchairs of course - and what I wouldn't like to see is this being altered in any way.
That being said I am certain that the first steps towards introducing goal-line technology will occur in the not too distance future. Probably next season.
This advancement should be welcomed as matters of fact concerning ball over the line or not should not be left solely to human eyes who sometimes through no fault of their own cannot see whether the ball is over or not. Subjective matters such as was it a hand ball, foul or offside should still be left vto the officials. Open these decisions up for dispute and we would soon have three hour football matches on our hands. Nobody wants that, I am sure.
Question three from ErimusRed
Graham, now be honest here son!
Boro were done over big time by that atrocious line call refereeing decision at West Ham. No way was it a goal, even to a sleeping blindman.
Players and coaching staff and the crowd could see on the big screen at
Upton Park that it wasn't over the line and that Skippy had pulled it back prior
to the money line.
In your time, when a big screen was available at a stadium,
did you sneak a look at said screen to help your decision making?
The Ref Says...
Your third question Erimus. You must be really bored or have a secret desire to referee!.
Whenever big screens are used at football stadiums then the clubs are instructed NOT to show any contencious replays immediately after the event. This is designed to prevent any unrest within the stadium if a decision was to be quickly proven to be incorrect.
Due to this no sneaky glances were possible beause there was nothing to look at. That doesn't mean to say you wouldn't check out your game on video afterwards to check out your errors/correct decisions, just for professional interest's sake.
The fourth and final question from ErimusRed
Graham. Jock-strap, skiddies, wife's kecks or bollock naked beneath the black shorts?
The Ref Says...
You have lulled me into a false sense of security with your questions so far then hit me with that one.
I don't own a jock-strap (you need to be a big lad for them don't ya?), our lasses kecks wouldn't fit me (have you seen the size of her arse?) and going commando would be most uncomfortable with the shit quality polyester shorts that we were supplied, so skiddies it is mate.
Thanks for taking a night off just to ask me all those questions and hope the answers were useful mate.
Question from Toby Higgins
In 2001 you refereed at Halifax Town in the second round of the
FA Cup. Town played Stoke and the game finished 1-1, with Stoke winning
the replay 3-0 and going on to host Everton in round three.
Halifax had a
shout for a penalty in the dying minutes of the game at The Shay with
the score at 1-1, and you turned it down.
Do you think there are
referees out there who would have given the penalty, just to create an FA Cup
shock and give the 'underdogs' the advantage?
The Ref Says...
Thanks Toby for that. The only thing I can say to answer your question is that all referee's, with the exception of Robert Hoyzer, don't give a shit who wins a game of football they are officiating at.
I know fans can get get very paranoid that a referee may be siding more with one team than another but seriously, the game - in this country at least - is as honest as the day is long. Referee's make mistakes but that's it.
Question from Big Shot
How is the handball rule interpreted? Does there have to be
intention? And how should a ref deal with a shot being struck hard
against an outstretched arm? How is this 'hand to ball'?
The Ref Says...
The handball law is one of the very few laws where an action by a player has got to be considered deliberate.
With this in mind I would say that 90% of instances in a game where the ball and hand/arm contact could be considered not deliberate and therefore would go unpenalised.
I certainly spent the majority of my career turning down appeals for handball because I considered that most of the time a deliberate offence had not taken place.
In your question you mention an outstretched arm and this is where it becomes more likely that the player will be punished, even if the ball is struck hard. An outstretched arm would be considered by most referee's as an attempt to deliberately block the ball and be punished accordingly.
Question from Smogsaway
How much do you het paid for being the 4th official?
The Ref Says...
In my day (3 years ago) it was about £200 + expenses for the fourth official at Premier League games, which was the same figure as you would get if you refeereed a Nationwide League game.
But given a choice, I always preferred refereeing to standing around the dugouts being abused by whining managers and players who would take out their frustrations on you, even though they were complaining about the referee or "your fucking mate" as they were generally referred to.
£200. It should have been at least double that for all the shit we had to take!
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Graham's answers will be published every week on this page. If you have a question for the ref, perhaps about a recent dubious refereeing decision, something that happened during his own football career or about football or reffing in general, then please write in straight away.
FILL THIS FORM OUT WITH YOUR QUESTION, or just email us here.
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