There seems to have been a number of referees changing their minds lately. It even happened at the Reading v Wolves top of the table clash, at the Madejski Stadium last week.
Probably the most high profile change of mind recently, happened at the Hull City v Aston Villa match. Villa were one nil up and the game was in added time, when referee Steve Bennett, pointed to Villa’s penalty spot after Ashley Young appeared to handle the ball. However, he heard a little voice in his earpiece. His assistant referee, Andy Halliday, told him over their radio loop that there had been no handball. After discussion, Steve Bennett cancelled the penalty award.
Hull city manager, Phil Brown, although he agreed that it wasn’t a penalty, said he was baffled and angry about the change of decision. Seems a little low on honest sportsmanship. What do the laws say about it all?
Law 5 – Decisions of the referee
starts: ‘The decision of the referee regarding facts, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final.’ Remember Reading’s ‘goal’ at Watford earlier in the season? The ball never entered the goal but the referee, upon a signal from his assistant referee, awarded Reading a goal. Television showed quite clearly that the referee had made a mistake but in the eyes of the law a goal was scored. What the referee says – goes. That’s quite a power invested in the referee but as we have seen, referees do change their mind.
This is also covered in Law 5 – Decisions, which says, ‘The referee may only change his decision on realising that it is incorrect, or at his discretion, on the advice of his assistant referee or the fourth official, providing he has not restarted play or terminated the match.’ So if he has restarted the game before he realises he has made a mistake, the decision stands, there’s no going back. Also, he doesn’t have to take advice given by his assistant referee, the decision remains with him alone.
There was some allegation that the fourth official at the Hull game, who was Howard Webb, had convinced the referee over the radio loop that he had made a mistake, having watched the incident on the pitch-side monitor. Totally impossible
now, of course, as monitors have been banned from the pitch side from this season.
In the Reading/Wolves game, someway through the second half, a Wolverhampton player went flying after rushing into a tackle and referee Russell Booth gave Reading a free kick. The player was injured by his fall and needed medical treatment. By the time the game restarted, the referee appeared to change his mind and gave the free kick to Wolves instead. But did he change his mind or did he simply point the wrong way in the first place before realising his mistake? I doubt if there is a referee alive who hasn’t done that.
I can remember occasions for instance when I have given offside only to discover a defender, who has been slow to react, still standing on the goal line. The only thing to do is admit your mistake and rescind the decision. Sometimes, a referee just forgets which way the teams are kicking.
One new referee reviewing his first games, told us only last week that was one of his difficulties, ‘for me, when the teams change ends after half time, it’s trying to get my head into gear that the decisions are now to be in the other direction. Sorry if that sounds bizarre.’ Well it might sound bizarre to anyone who has not blown a whistle but to those of us who referee, it’s a very recognisable condition.
The important thing when you know you have made a mistake, is to acknowledge it and change it – before it’s too late.
Dick Sawdon Smith
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© R Sawdon Smith 2009