The weekend’s NFL and NCAA football games were overshadowed by a wave of controversial referee decisions that created a firestorm of Twitter, player, coach and general public outrage. In a highly controversial Premier League match at Goodison Park on Arsenal’s visit to Everton, officiating once again received focus. Eddie Nketiah of Arsenal shown second yellow for high boot on Jan Paul van Hecke. This egregious foul earned him a red card and his expulsion from the match. During that match, Nketiah furiously called for a penalty in the second half. This time, rather than award him a penalty, the VAR referee controversially booked him for diving.
The integrity of the referee’s decision-making was widely criticized, particularly in relation to Nketiah’s second yellow card. Punishing refusal to play the ball Observers decried that, although he intended to play the ball, the type of challenge he made deserved a yellow card. In the same match, Everton was awarded a penalty after Myles Lewis-Skelly’s challenge on Jack Harrison, a decision many considered soft. The storm continued to cause havoc with VAR checks in other matches. Specifically, during Tottenham’s matchup against Southampton, a controversial disallowed goal fueled discussions regarding the quality of officiating in the league’s top tier.
Nketiah’s Dismissal Raises Eyebrows
Nketiah’s ejection from the game against Everton was critical. Having already been given his initial yellow card, he was booked a second time after an aerial duel with Van Hecke. Referee’s call—High Boot = Reckless Play The referee ruled that the high boot was indeed dangerous/reckless play.
“He’ll say he’s unlucky because he’s watching the ball and doesn’t see Van Hecke coming but once you raise your foot like that it’s going to be a yellow card for reckless play.” – Dermot
The analysts were on the same page in calling Nketiah’s actions a clear yellow card offense. Sue Smith had some thoughtful words on the incident, speaking to the heartbreaking nature of the reality for that young woman.
“I feel for him because he’s just watching the ball. But when your foot is raised so high and you connect with a player you’re always likely to get booked. That is a second yellow.” – Sue Smith
The dismissal had a huge effect on Arsenal’s performance. It gifted the momentum to Everton, who were hungry for points on the board against a formidable side.
Penalty Decisions Spark Debate
Everton’s penalty, given after a challenge by Lewis-Skelly on Harrison, raised a few eyebrows. Given how little of a challenge seemed needed, many were shocked at the ruling’s weight.
“I do think it’s soft. But Lewis-Skelly does fall onto him inside the area. I think that’s never going to get overturned. You can see why the referee has given it. He does connect with him.” – Sue Smith
Critics of this proposal contended that these types of decisions would damage the integrity of the game. Dermot reiterated his view that tougher standards should be used when calculating penalties.
“Nowhere near enough to give a foul. It was just a tough day at the office for Konate. He lost the flight of the ball.” – Stephen Warnock
Lack of officiating consistency angered both players and coaches. Those involved and plenty of supporters are now calling for more consistent rules as to what constitutes a foul in the box.
VAR Controversies Continue
VAR technology took center stage over the weekend, especially in Tottenham’s clash with Southampton. The almost four-minute VAR check for a disallowed goal fed into a growing list of complaints about the technology’s introduction into the world of football.
The entire check took almost five minutes. Cristian Romero was eventually deemed offside, disallowing what looked like a true game-winning goal from Tottenham.
“Over the weekend we had a lot of elongated offside checks. Next Saturday it’s going to be different because semi-automated comes in and will eradicate most of this.” – Dermot
We hope this change will help reduce decision-making processes and delays on the field to ensure the game resumes more quickly. As the tournament has progressed, fans have taken to social media in outrage over VAR’s disruption of the flow of play.
“Fans are getting fed up now of VAR going through decisions with a fine-tooth comb. It’s got to be quicker. It’s ruining the atmosphere at grounds and killing the tempo of games.” – Stephen Warnock
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