Inept officiating is too often an Olympic problem

Of course they got hosed.

Anyone with two eyes can see that the women’s football team was robbed in the loss to the Yanks in the semifinal, done in by inadequate officiating in the biggest game of their lives.

Everyone wrote it (Cathal’s piece is here) and the true shame of it is that there’s nothing anyone can do.

I’ve often said in private conversations that the refereeing in team sports when you get to this level is, basically, atrocious.

The game has become too fast for some of refs – and I’m talking basketball and football because it’s what I know best but I presume it holds true for field hockey, water polo and volleyball – and the players are simply too good.

I put the blame solely on the world governing bodies, FIFA for football, FIBA for basketball, because they are the ones who nominate the officials, they are the ones who decide who gets to do the games and the pick too “fairly” too often.

They take refs from countries where the game is emerging and not that important and plop them down onto the biggest sporting stage in the world. It’s stupid.

And then when they fail, either blatantly as she did last night or subtly like you see time after time after time, nothing happens.

Now, I don’t know if last night’s ref is a veteran or a rookie, highly regarded or an afterthought. But there can be no debate that she was overwhelmed by the moment and choked.

Until these global organizations start spending more money and time on referee development – and, most important, get past this idiotic notion that anyone can ref any game and put the best they’ve got on the biggest game – travesties like last night are going to keep happening.

Truly a shame.

And a sham.

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The bar here in the press centre is named after Steve Parry, a legendary, now deceased Reuters sports editor and that’s a fitting tribute.

But if you’re Canadian and you hear that name …

Who doesn’t like a little Journey in the morning; hope Armstrong and Devlin are reading.

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I know it’s a legitimate sport and the athletes are wonderful but you cannot have wrestling without turnbuckles, can you?

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This was an Olympic moment I’ll never forget, a very cool few minutes that came about entirely out of nowhere.

Had to go cover cycling yesterday – and if you thought my trampoline knowledge was lacking, you can only imagine how lost I was trying to decipher women’s omnium cycling – and it was a hoot.

The mixed zone (where we do our interviews) is pretty much right in the middle of the track!

So we’re down there talking to Tara Whitten’s coach (I didn’t ask a single question so as not to prove my ignorance of the sport) when all of a sudden we have to stop chatting.

That’s because not 15 metres away was the medal ceremony for British men’s sprint gold medalist Jason Kenny. All the pomp, all the circumstance and there’s little old me, smack dab in the middle of it. Was going to grab some flowers to send home but though the better of it.

But standing in the middle of a track, seeing the British flag raised not 20 feet away and hearing the crowd bellow God Save The Queen was as cool as it gets.

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After far too long an absence, got back to The Ship Tavern last night for a few – the Tribute cask ale was as good as I remember – and of course there's a conversation with the barkeeper.

She’s born in Sweden, now a Londoner, the conversation got around to Mats Sundin and the pucks (I know, I know, a true slip by me) and whether she’s a fan of the game.

Seems the answer is yes.

“They actually fight and I like that.”

Despite that, I’m still going back there at least one more time before we come home.

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This is why R. Doolittle, Cub Sportswriter, is the Rookie Of The Year.

We’re back from The Ship having one in the lobby and there she is, over in the corner, just back from watching the football match in a pub, typing away.

Anyone who’ll sit in a lobby bar and sip water while writing a story about watching a game in a bar can play on my team any day.

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So there’s this collection of buildings, with an open-air patio-like thing at the top just beside the basketball venue here at the Olympic Park.

I’ve been told it’s an NBC compound and I figure maybe that’s where the decide how to screw over viewers by tape-delaying everything so that writers and tweeters can scoop the network any old time we want.

Then I find out that, no, that’s not it.

It’s actually the Today Show set and I’m figuring if I can sneak in there today on my way to the women’s game, that’d be a heckuva good Olympic moment.

Might cost my credential but it’d be fun.

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I’m thinking 10 or 12 hours of men’s basketball on quarter-final day might be a wonderful way to spend a Wednesday.

And it’ll keep me away from sports I know nothing about. You’d appreciate that, I bet; am thinking the bosses would, too.

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Comments

[larrylukeeborg]

'sham' isn't strong enough. how about 'fix'?

[sportschic]

Completely agree that inept refs are an issue. I'm sorry to see any game where the ref becomes the story, especially a game this big. I've watched countless soccer games and this is the first time I've seen that call -- or rather, I've seen 'delay of game' called but usually a yellow card is issued. It really was a compelling match to watch, but that has to leave a sour taste. Oh, and Christine Sinclair is amazing.

Watching a soccer match in a bar and reporting on that? Where do I sign up?!?! :)

[coachd]

Hi Doug,
I must admit, I'm not surprised at all by the officiating yesterday. That type of inept officiating occurs at every level, not just the Olympics.It might be easy to blame the official, but the fault lies in the collective belief that great athletes or teams don't make the same mistakes that others do. That's why Michael Jordan never travelled, Wayne Gretzky never committed a penalty. The American soccer team is considered great , and rightfully so, that's why their hand ball becomes a non-call and the Canadian team's hand ball becomes a penalty kick. It's a shame that it happens this way, but I can't see it changing.

[doug]

let's just take away from that game a superb effort from both teams, a classic game and a performance from the greatest female athlete that Canada has produced in team sports....I refuse to let that ref tarnish it for me, Christine Sinclair as Cathal aptly says has just won the Lou Marsh award and if she doesn't then that is a sham. 3 of the most beautiful goals you'll ever see a hat trick which to me must be equivalent to Kobe's 81 against the raps.. ...cheers...

[Tim H.]

Hey Doug:
I don't know if you saw, but a track athlete was sent home because, "The Referee considered that he had not provided a bona fide effort" in the 800 m heat.

Will you remember these Olympic games as the Tank(ard) Olympics?

Also, how is it determined which Star writer will cover which event(s)? Do the Tall Foreheads send you each day's duties, or does the group make the decision?

Regardless of how it's decided, all of your reporters (and Stevie Boy as well!) are doing an awesome job! Thanks!

Blogger's note: It's a collective decision, usually; and often has to do with who can get where and when easiest. We're all pretty flexible in our abilities to tell stories on athletes in sports we're unfamiliar with. And I think they let that guy back in on appeal

[`.]

What a great line from Cathal's piece....

“I’ve never seen that before,” U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said afterward. Sundhage has worked in the game since they used mammoth tusks for goalposts.

[Jeremy]

I was devastated by the lose but the better team won. The US had more possession, more shots, more shots on target and more corners. As for the officiating, sure it was bad but it was not one-sided. The Canadian tackling, especially in the first half, was atrocious and there should have been multiple more cards to the Canadians and maybe even more penalty kicks. Canada could have easily and legitimately had players sent off and do you think we might have seen a different result had Canada been down to 10 players?

On officiating more generally - too often fans and media people judge officiating without ever having read the rulebook or talked to an official about how those rules are interpreted and applied. Every basketball game I've ever watched has numerous instances of booing or cheering for calls for which the fans are completely wrong and yet they and the media have the arrogance to say that the officiating was horrible with little to no knowledge about what they are talking about.

[Ren]

@Jeremy
The coaches, fans, viewers, players... the WORLD saw that the calls were atrocious. They were atrocious.

[joeu]

I watched that game. It was decided by a referee's wrong call; a call in a situation she manufactured, which produced the tie-ing goal with about 12 regulation minutes remaining. That goes beyond travesty and incompetence. And it tainted a truly magnificent game from both teams.

[joeu]

@ Jeremy,

What you do not understand, is that the game is not any of those stats you mention, the game is GOALS, and on that count, the regulation score is

Canada 3 US 2 Norway 1

The other thing you don't understand is the application of interpretation. Here is an illustrative quote :

Simply touching the ball with an arm or hand does not necessarily result in a hand ball. United States Soccer referee, Victor Matheson, notes that the ball must be intentionally touched by the player's arm or hand. If a ball bounces up and hits a player's hand unintentionally, it is not a hand ball. The USSF advises referees to use the rule of thumb that "it is handling if the player plays the ball, but not handling if the ball plays the player".

[`.]

@Jeremy
refs generally are generally hesitant to call penalties in the box because the resulting penalty kick would have a huge impact on the result of the game (and rightfully so). For that reason the ref should not have called a rarely called penalty that directly affected the outcome of the game.

aside from that, it was one of the best games.. of any sport, men or women, at any level of competition in a long long time.

[Lorie]

Hello Doug,
Such an epic, majestic performance by our soccer team yesterday. And, as others have said, the inexcusably inept performance by a certain Norwegian official should not -- will not! -- destroy or diminish or cause us to forget their collective magnificence. Christine Sinclair for Lou Marsh? Oh, yes. Absolutely. Case closed. Deal done. Now, I read that The Star has a poet-in-residence over there, the wonderful Priscila Uppal. (And such a great idea, by the way!) And I don't know if she's written about Monday's match yet, but until that time, Henley's classic poem "Invictus" came to my mind.
"...In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
...It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate.
I am the captain of my soul."
Cheers.

[joeu]

On a happier note, Cathal's blog-call on Sinclair's third goal was peerless:

"SWEET JESUS ..."

[Bill]

Wrong calls by refs happens all the time and, comparatively speaking, is nothing compared to what happened to the South Korean lady in fencing. If they cannot fix that there is no way the games/results will continued to be respected.

[Jeremy]

@Ren
I don't disagree that the officiating was bad but it was bad both ways. Both teams should have had more cards and Canada probably should have had a player sent off for all their horrible tackles and professional fouls. Not to mention that there is a legitimate argument that some of the tackles in the box should have resulted in penalty kicks for the US. But the most important point is that the vast majority of those complaining about the officiating wouldn't even know where to find the laws of the game let alone having read them or talking to someone who understands them and how they are applied. The absolute arrogance and deluded hubris of fans is always amazing.

@joeu
Of course goals decide the game but they are often very lucky. Those stats are a much more accurate description of which team played better throughout the match and in this match that was the Americans. Now, Canada didn't deserve to lose like that on a bad call but they actually didn't lose on that play there were still 12 minutes plus injury time left. That's plenty of time for the US to tie it up if that bad call doesn't happen or for Canada to get another goal after it did happen.

I never said that the penalty kick should have been given (I think it was marginally a wrong decision) but you can make a good argument that it was the right call. First of all, it hit two Canadian players, the player running out at Rapinoe (who's name I can't remember) and then Nault. The first players arm was not in a "natural position" it was out to her side and one could argue that was to make herself bigger in order to block the shot. It then ricocheted towards Nault and her arm also was not at her side and her arm was moving in such a way that could be construed as arm playing the ball rather than ball playing the arm. Especially given that had it not hit her arm it might have grazed her shoulder and continued on to the US players behind her. Now again I don't agree with that interpretation I think Nault was just trying to avoid having the ball blasted into her face but it's still a legitimate interpretation of the call. Plus, I've read numerous comments from referees that they don't have a problem with the penalty call.

Reverse the rolls in that penalty situation - ball hits American players moving arm but then isn't called a penalty - everyone here who is now saying it was a horrible penalty call for the Americans would be howling that a penalty should have been called for the Canadians. You can't have it both ways.

[Nick M]

@Lorie,
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Very fitting poem. The team should all get a copy of that before the French game because it is easier said then done after the US game. I can't imagine having to get prepared for a bronze medal game after that!

[Wallace]

Any Olympic sport that has referees or judges is automatically suspect, and has been for every Olympics that I can remember.

[Phil A]

I spoke to a few of my friends who happen to be soccer goalkeepers and they all said that giving the indirect freekick inside the box was the correct call. All game, the Canadian goalkeeper was holding on to the ball for much longer than 6 seconds and she was bound to get a delay of game call against her. I've never seen a goalkeeper hold on to the ball for that long. There really is no excuse for that.

With regards to the penalty shot given to the US for that hand ball, that's a debatable call. It's a very difficult call to make and it could have gone either way.

I've been playing soccer my whole life and I hate to point fingers but to me it seemed obvious that the goalkeeper blew it for the team. I even have to put the blame on the keeper on the first US goal.

[john]

@wallace, name an Olympic sport that doesn't have judges or referees?

[ET]

@Phil A-Are your friends (goal keepers) playing at the olympic level or Professional level? Can you find it anywhere this 6 second rule was called at a major football event? Goalkeepers routinely hold the ball for longer than six seconds and they normally get a warning from the referee. The referee simply missed calls for both sides. The officiating was awful and there is no excuse for that at this stage!

[Wallace]

@john, any sport where you run or swim or jump or throw and your performance result is objective. It's pretty hard to screw up the result of the 100 metres with bad officiating.

Blogger's note: Bad starters have affected races with questionable false starts

[Phil A]

@ET- I respect your opinion on this matter but you cannot all of sudden change a rule due to the level of importance of a game. The fact remains that goalkeepers are not allowed to hold on to the ball for more than 6 seconds. If they do, it results in an indirect free kick. It's in the FIFA rule book. The majority of the people who are complaining about that call simply are not aware of the FIFA rules and regulations.

[ET]

@Phil-A: I am aware that it is in the rule book. But if the referees consistently enforced this rule in the world class matches, there would be at least 6-7 free kicks near the goal. There are plenty of rules in the FIFA rule book that the referees don’t enforce often. In the professional soccer scene I have never seen this 6-second rule being enforced. Most of the time the goalies get few warnings and they move on. At a critical juncture in a 3-2, semi-final Olympic game, a call like that is very questionable. If the Canadian goalie was warned and continued to do this, the call would have been more justified.

[doug]

@Phil A....people are well aware of the rules, travelling isn't allowed in the NBA or 3 in the key yet it happens all the time...and to go a step further that call although maybe "technically" correct would be like a NBA ref calling 3 in the key in the 7th game with 5 seconds left on the clock....so yes it's a rule just as jaywalking is a law....to hide behind rules and not accept the absurdity of calling one at a ill-advised time is missing the whole argument...cheers..

[Steph]

Every Referee has to appreciate the moment in a game. The time where he game is close, the players are playing their hearts out, and the fans are relishing the opportunity to see two teams battle it out. A referee has to use discretion when making a call. The rule book is the rules book, but like everything in life, one has to use common sense. Knowing all about obscure rules does not make a good referee, knowing when to use the rule book makes a good referee.
..
In this case the referee became the story. Right call or wrong call does not matter, anytime a referee determines the outcome, the game lost. Take the two teams playing out of the discussion, but keep in within the context of the big stage, and most people would agree that it was a bad call.