Recent refereeing controversies has seen people calling for Howard Webb to return to refereeing in a bid to help improve the standard of officiating.
The former head of the referees' board Keith Hackett is one of the most vocal proponents urge Howard Webb to return to the game in a bid to improve the standard of officiating.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: "Referees are making big mistakes, week in, week out. They need some leadership and with that leadership the guy who is at the top needs to front up."
Webb, who is one of England's most well known referees due to his officiating and his impressive physique, retired in August 2014 to become the technical director of the Professional Games Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). In 2010 he was the first person to officiate the Champions League final as well as a World Cup in the same year.
Howard Webb does have an impressive resume when it comes to refereeing big games but will his presence really make the difference? Isn't he also prone to the same mistakes his colleagues are making? Isn't he the same person to allow Nigel De Jong to basically get away with murder when he karate kicked Xabi Alonso in the chest in the 2010 World Cup final and only received a yellow card?
Keith Hackett is wrong in thinking that a reinstated Howard Webb will improve the officiating of his colleagues. I highly doubt that they will be thinking What Would Howard Do? when Ashley Young makes a 10/10 dive into the penalty area in the 90th minute. Officials are forced to act immediately and unwaveringly. That is just the nature of the game. Soccer is an amazing sport because of the fact that you don't know what will happen next, including blunders from referees. Mistakes will surely happen and it is idealistic to assume Howard Webb's presence will change that.
Although I do agree that it is idealistic that Howard Webb's return would fix all of the recent refereeing blunders and inconsistencies, I don't think the potential for his help can be completely discounted just on a few mistakes he made in the past. I believe that there is a reason people in the officiating world and reaching out to him and asking for his leadership. While he may not be a perfect referee, he is one of the most experienced referees in the world and he also may be a great leader as well. He would be returning with a different role: to lead a change in the training and management of referees and I do think there are only few people capable of having even a small chance to influence this area positively and he may be one of them. Idealistic, yes, but it also provides a potential pivot towards solution.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this comment, and I believe that Howard Webb was a great ref. However, like anything else, one man cannot fix all the problems. I think that their should be a tighter description on how refs should act and what exactly they should do. There should be less room for interpretation because after all they are officiating a game and nothing more.
ReplyDeleteJuan, I completely agree. He is a very credible and influential figure in sports. But what I am trying to say is that in the heat of the moment during a game a referee will be prone to mistakes. It's just natural. In addition head referees have access to their linesmen and fourth officials who are obliged to help them out in difficult situations.
ReplyDeleteBut Nicholas, whats beautiful about soccer is that every game is unpredictable. We know refs shouldn't award penalty kicks for dives but if it happens to quickly then it could be hard to tell. Nonetheless referees have a split second to react to what just occurred because it would look worse if they hesitated.
ReplyDeleteBut Nicholas, whats beautiful about soccer is that every game is unpredictable. We know refs shouldn't award penalty kicks for dives but if it happens to quickly then it could be hard to tell. Nonetheless referees have a split second to react to what just occurred because it would look worse if they hesitated.
ReplyDelete