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In professional hockey, there has been a two referee system in place for at least 20 years.
With that system, either ref can call a penalty, at any place at any time. They also have two linesmen, who call off sides and icing infractions. Obviously, hockey is a much faster game, with strong physical contact, and the goal is a mere six feet wide by four feet high. The NHL has had video replay for years, to allow the on ice official's decisions to be reviewed by the NHL's competition office in Toronto, in real time.
Why soccer is so far in the past is beyond me.
Jim B.
Thank you very much!
Sometimes I wonder if football's/soccer's "One ref on the pitch" issue is nothing more than inflexible tradition. I mean, seriously, with as big as the field is, a second ref on the pitch cannot hurt.
If other major sports have more than one ref, why not soccer?
Sometimes I wonder if football's/soccer's "One ref on the pitch" issue is nothing more than inflexible tradition. I mean, seriously, with as big as the field is, a second ref on the pitch cannot hurt.
If other major sports have more than one ref, why not soccer?
It's incredible to me that soccer only has one ref, although there are two flag people (one on each sideline).
An American football field is similar in size to soccer, and uses SEVEN (7) officials!
These seven have individual responsibilities and designated names:
referee, umpire, head linesman, line judge, back judge, side judge, and field judge.
The referee is the crew chief and is often called the head referee.
American Football is designed to stop, therefore is perfect for having whatever amount of referees they desire. They play for 6 seconds then can stop the game for whatever amount of minutes to discuss whatever it is they discuss.
Football is meant to be free flowing and only needs one referee, anybody who thinks the introduction of a second or third ref onto the pitch clearly has no idea about football at all.
American Football is designed to stop, therefore is perfect for having whatever amount of referees they desire. They play for 6 seconds then can stop the game for whatever amount of minutes to discuss whatever it is they discuss.
Football is meant to be free flowing and only needs one referee, anybody who thinks the introduction of a second or third ref onto the pitch clearly has no idea about football at all.
I disagree. Having one and only one ref on the pitch seems like nothing more than stubborn outdated tradition. Worse yet is the fact that questionable plays cannot be reviewed by video replays.
Simply because the game has been played according to one and only one standard does not mean there is no room for improvement. Mind the fact that relatively recently did refs begin marking lines on the pitch with vanishing foam. It's a small "change" which has improved the game.
Questionable plays are all part of the game, its the beauty of it. You never know. Football fans don't want a robotic sport liek American Football. We have goal line refs and will have video technology for goals.
Foam does not interrupt the flow of the game, it marks a boundary. Hardly ground breaking like introducing two referees who referee the game completely differently on either side of the pitch.
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