By Pat Johnston

What will it take for sense and reason to influence the governing authorities of football?  Yet another glaring example of a missed/ improper decision by a match official is seen by a worldwide audience.  And the result of the mistake is the rewarding of one team to a World Cup berth while the other is reduced to tears, literally. 

Arguably the most prolific of the European showdowns for a trip to South Africa, the contest between France and Ireland was as riveting as any play off in the most recent international break from club football.  The bang bang duo of handballs by Thierry Henry may be the second most remembered unpunished use of the improper appendage since the “hand of God” incident by Diego Maradona against England in 1986. 

There is no dispute that an advantage was gained when Henry handled the ball, nor can anyone dispute that the referee blew it.  Therein lies the problem.  This was an easy incident to fix.  It is the day after the match and there are all sorts of “solutions” being tossed about: “replay the game” is the Irish government’s solution.  The Irish FA is undoubtedly lodging a protest which will be valid.  Many are calling on Raymond Domenech to do the honorable thing and instigate a movement for the match to be replayed much like countryman Arsene Wenger did nearly a decade ago in the FA Cup.  Somehow I do not see any of these scenarios happening.  The Irish will lament what could have been or more likely, what should not have been.



What makes this easy to avoid in the future is that there is a precedent (or three) for making right a match official’s mistake: instant replay.  What small following I have out there knows that I have been at the forefront of trying to achieve justice with the use of modern technology.  For my litany of reasons and incidents where replay would have been appropriate, feel free to review past postings.

Controversy Requires Action
Offside Calls Need Video Review

What I would really like to do is engage the “purists” in a dialog as to why this should be allowed to continue.  I can no longer accept the party line “it is part of the game” crap!

Tell that to the Irish!  “Henry’s handling of the ball and not being whistled is just part of the game, the resulting goal, while unfair, is just how it has always been done.”

“Oh, all right then, so let’s keep having games decided by officials making the wrong call because that’s the way it always has been when a bad decision has influenced or determined the outcome.  Who are we to say that despite the whole television viewing  world knowing that the goal should have been disallowed before the French even got back to midfield?  Since that is the way it is, far be it for us to ask for a reasonable conclusion to a most costly and obvious blunder.  Have a nice day.”

Isn’t it human nature to improve upon anything we can as we move forward in our lives?  Is FIFA and all the other governing bodies somehow excluded from the human equation?

Yes I said it, the human equation is the catch phrase for purists and governing bodies alike.  “We are reluctant to take the human equation/element out of the game.”  What part of the human equation do they refer too?  Obviously selective in their use of which part of that human thing as long as it suits their purpose. 

It is human to make mistakes and it is even more human to find solutions.  Do not tell me that the “human element” is a part of the game than can not be remedied.  Anyone against replay has their head stuck in the sand.  I will say it again- the wrong call is never the right call where there is a means to correct it in an expeditious manner.  Mostly all the controversies are recognizable in the first viewing in instant replay.  I grow weary of those who deny this.

So to start the dialog I will ask this- Is there a problem with blown/missed calls determining the outcome of vital matches at the highest level?  Everyone knows how I will answer.  I am not seeking solutions at this time.  We will address those issues in the following articles.  The experts say the first step to fixing a problem is to recognize/admit the problem.  So football/soccer world, do we have a problem?  Say no at your own peril and stay tuned…….

CLICK HERE to have your say in whether there is a problem and give your ideas on how to remedy the situation.

Pat Johnston is a USSF A licensed coach, former professional player and currently coaches college soccer at Sewanee: The University of the South.  He is a contributing writer to Soccer365 as well as Success in Soccer magazine.  See more at thelanguageofsoccer.com.