Refereeing

VAR powers could be extended to free-kicks, corners and second yellow cards as new proposals are set to be discussed on Tuesday.Football’s lawmakers on the International FA Board will meet at a Heathrow hotel to confirm changes for next season.
VAR could be handed more powers under new rules being discussed on TuesdayCredit: AFP
And despite fan outrage over the interminable delays that have left supporters shaking their heads in fury and disbelief, the idea of adding to the amount of decisions video refs can change is a serious threat.
Currently VAR can only be used for “match-changing incidents” – goals, penalties and red cards.
Controversy has followed a spate of decisions in the Premier League alone this season.
The biggest was the shocking error where miscommunication between the officials at the League’s Stockley Park hub and at the stadium saw Luis Diaz’ onside goal for Liverpool against Spurs ruled out.
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta faces a potential ban for his furious response to Newcastle’s debatable winner at St James’ Park last month.
Chelsea’s win at Spurs on November 1 brought NINE VAR checks, five disallowed goals, two red cards and 21 minutes of added time across the two halves.
And England’s Euro 2024 qualifying draw in North Macedonia included a ludicrous penalty decision against Three Lions debut-maker Rico Lewis.
But things are set to get even more manic if the idea of allowing VAR officials to intervene on more decisions gets support.
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Red cards for deliberate handballsRED cards for “deliberate” penalty box handballs are set to be introduced next season – in a major clampdown by football’s Law-makers.
Under current Laws, players are only sent off for “denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity” for box handball offences.
That is almost always for an offence blocking a goalbound shot on the line.
Tuesday’s meeting will bring “deliberate” handball offences into line with goal-stopping fouls where there is no intent to play the ball.
It is understood that the new approach will mean players who are deemed to have deliberately raised their hands above the shoulder to block a cross or shot risk being sent off as well as conceding the spot kick.
The view is that the change will bring handball offences into line with deliberate fouls in the box – where there is no attempt to play the ball – which should be punished with red cards.

Under the proposal to be discussed on Tuesday, video refs could recommend changes of decisions on free-kicks, corners and second yellow cards.
That would arguably undermine the authority of referees and officials even further – and lead to even more stoppages for checks.
But despite those fears, the idea is gaining strength from some members of the Ifab ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham, who has one of the eight votes that determine the laws of the game, has vowed to thwart the concept.
Bullingham said: “I know that is something we will discuss in the Ifab.
“We would be really reluctant to have a game that was stopped a lot more than it currently is but that will be a proper discussion.”
Each of the four Home Nations has one vote on Ifab, with Fifa supplying the other four. No Law change can be brought in without six votes in favour.
Tuesday’s meeting is set to bring in tougher handball laws for next season – with red cards for “deliberate” offences inside the penalty box.
It will also order penalty kicks to be taken with the ball touching the centre of the spot.
And there is growing support for two extra trials over player indiscipline that could be rolled out into the Prem over the coming seasons.
The first would see only captains allowed to talk to referees on the pitch, rather than the current free for all which sees angry players confronting officials.
And the other could be the first step to rugby-style “sin-bins” for offences that currently bring what many consider “harsh” red cards.
But there is little or no appetite outside of English football for VAR conversations between the video booth and the referee to be played out “live” either on TV or in the stadium.
One of the biggest gripes against VAR is fans being “left hanging” for three minutes-plus as the video technology is underway, with the stadium giant screens only explaining the check in the briefest of terms.
Prem refs’ chief Howard Webb is keen to bring it in as soon as possible and he is backed by Bullingham – but both are walking against a strong headwind.
Wembley boss Bullingham explained: “We’ve talked about it in multiple Ifabs.
“Generally there is a split in the room over that, and quite often it’s between the marketing-and-commercial people and the referees.
“Our point of view would normally be that transparency is a really good thing, and we want to have fans to have the maximum experience.
“The fans in the stadium should never know less than the fans watching on TV
“But there is an understandable nervousness from others that the referee’s job is hard enough as it is.”
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ARSENAL 1 BRENTFORD 1, FEBRUARY 11
GUNNERS fans were enraged Ivan Toney’s equaliser stood as Christian Norgaard was ­offside as he set it up.
A referees report later admitted that VAR Lee Mason “forgot” to apply the lines while reviewing the goal.
Gunners fans were enraged Ivan Toney’s equaliser stood as Christian Norgaard was ­offside as he set it upCredit: BBC
LIVERPOOL 2 SPURS 1, SEPTEMBER 30
OFFICIALS ruled out Liverpool striker Luis Diaz’s perfectly good goal against Tottenham for offside.
The howler led referees’ body the PGMOL to issue an apology and release the audio of the Stockley Park decision.
Officials ruled out Liverpool striker Luis Diaz’s perfectly good goal against Tottenham for offside
FOREST 1 BRENTFORD 1, OCTOBER 1
BEES fans were stunned after being denied a penalty when Forest keeper Matt Turner took out Yoane Wissa.
After the match, Turner even admitted that he was happy blundering VAR officials failed to step in.
Bees fans were stunned after being denied a penalty when Forest keeper Matt Turner took out Yoane WissaCredit: Getty
NEWCASTLE 1 ARSENAL 0, NOVEMBER 4
DESPITE four potential infractions, the Magpies were awarded a second-half winner following a lengthy VAR check.
After the match, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta branded VAR’s failure to rule it out an “absolute disgrace”.
The Magpies were awarded a second-half winner following a lengthy VAR checkCredit: Sky Sports
SPURS 1 CHELSEA 4, NOVEMBER 6
A CHAOTIC match in North London saw five ruled-out goals and two red cards.
The game had the most VAR checks in a Premier League match, with nine.
Referee Michael Oliver checks the VAR monitor before awarding Chelsea a penalty and sending off Spurs’ Cristian RomeroCredit: Rex
That led to 21 minutes of stoppage time. More

REFS chief Howard Web has told Premier League officials they MUST clamp down on players waving imaginary cards.PGMOL boss Webb has also reiterated the need for refs to enforce directives penalising dissent.
Howard Webb has re-enforced rules on VAR and bookingsCredit: Sky Sports
Referees have been reminded to book players or managers for dissentCredit: PA
And in a further statement of intent, Webb wants VAR officials to step in if “soft” penalties are wrongly awarded.
The former World Cup final whistler laid down his demands at the scheduled gathering of officials at their Loughborough base ahead of this weekend’s Prem resumption.
Webb pointed out that the early season directive to book – and if a second offence, send off – players showing imaginary cards after fouls appears to have been forgotten in recent weeks.
That inconsistency has been a complaint from fans up and down the country.
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And his message to the referees was that a policy that was put in place in August has to remain consistently applied throughout the campaign and in future years.
Webb is equally keen to ensure the strong line against dissent continues – as a way of enforcing better behaviour from players and managers alike.
This season has seen 88 Prem bookings for dissent, with Fulham top of the bad boy charts on 11 cautions for words or gestures.
Three players – Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta and Sean Longstaff of Newcastle – have been cautioned on three occasions.
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Bosses behaving badly include Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag and Fulham chief Marco Silva, also each yellow carded three times.
But PGMOL and Prem bosses believe the strong push will improve player behaviour as they realise they will be punished for speaking out of turn.
Webb told club chiefs at Tuesday’s “shareholder” meeting that this season has so far seen NO incidents of mass confrontation, compared to eight such melees at this point last term.
New added time rules have seen the average match length rise to 101 minutes and 41 seconds, three minutes and 17 seconds longer than last season.
The ball has also been in play for 58 minutes and 29 seconds, up 223 seconds, nearly four minutes more, per game.
Webb also told clubs that he wanted a higher bar for penalty offences and planned to instruct VARs to intervene and recommend overturns when that threshold was not met.
The PGMOL boss has already publicly admitted Wolves were wrongly penalised twice in successive weeks when first Newcastle and then Sheffield United were given spot-kicks that should not have been awarded. More