South Africa 2010

[Donald Trump]

If referees are properly trained, "consistency" takes care of itself, as two individual referees at the World Cup level looking at the same play would come up with the same call or non-call upwards of 99% of the time. Having two on the field wouldn't change that. It would bring more correctness onto the field. Thus, more consistency.

I couldn't disagree more. Most people still can't tell after thousands of replays if something is a penalty or something isn't. There was a tackle involving Ryan Shawcross earlier this year and there's still no clear answer as to whether he deserved a yellow card or a red card. People rarely see the same thing, especially when they are in different positions, so to say that they'd agree 99% of the time is just wrong. Then there's the issue of cards, referees are different, two referees have two different standards, which would ruin a game. Also soccer is an international sport unlike Baseball American football etc. What constitutes a foul is massively different in Spain than it is from England.

This World Cup showed that it's clearly broken. Holding during corners is a part of the game, certainly. Tackling is not. Phantom fouls are not. Handballs leading to opportunities for goal are not. I have no problem with a referee missing a common foul here and there, or awarding a corner instead of a goal kick. They're human, they're going to make mistakes. It's the "everybody in the stadium except the referee" calls that were missed far too often that cry out for change.

A guy watching a tv would spot those sorts of things, there's no guarantee that a second referee would.

 

[CassinoChips]

I couldn't disagree more. Most people still can't tell after thousands of replays if something is a penalty or something isn't. There was a tackle involving Ryan Shawcross earlier this year and there's still no clear answer as to whether he deserved a yellow card or a red card. People rarely see the same thing, especially when they are in different positions, so to say that they'd agree 99% of the time is just wrong. Then there's the issue of cards, referees are different, two referees have two different standards, which would ruin a game. Also soccer is an international sport unlike Baseball American football etc. What constitutes a foul is massively different in Spain than it is from England.

I can only speak from my experience as a referee. There are regional differences even in "American" sports as well. Though, considering the expansion of basketball recently, it's quickly becoming international as well. But the differences are minor, and, like I said, upwards of 99% of plays are refereed the same way regardless of those differences.

A guy watching a tv would spot those sorts of things, there's no guarantee that a second referee would.

There's no guarantee a guy watching a TV would either. I can't tell you how many times I've watched a play in any sport where the referee(s) thought X, I thought Y, I saw a replay 15 seconds after the play, and realized X happened. A guy watching a TV is dependent on camera angles, which can't adjust quickly enough to the proper angles. A referee would stand a greater likelihood of getting to those angles.

 

[charliepanayi]

There was a tackle involving Ryan Shawcross earlier this year and there's still no clear answer as to whether he deserved a yellow card or a red card

I hope you don't mean the one against Arsenal where he broke Aaron Ramsey's leg! That was the most obvious red card ever.