No Replay Platini

(dailymail.co.uk)




The video review is a part of American football culture that most fans and coaches couldn't live without. I remember watching games with my family growing up on Thanksgiving or Christmas and flipping out at the challenge flag being thrown and flipping out more when a play was overturn. But what would this do for soccer?

According to UEFA President Michael Platini, it will slow the pace of the game down because coaches will be going to it every five seconds. I think some coaches would do this. Rafael Benitiez for one. Platini is supportive of the extra referee's for the eighteen yard box. This is a move that will be tested by FIFA at the club world cup in Japan this year.

One of the main differences between American football and world footie is the pace of the game. Footie moves at a faster pace than American football and if you have to stop every two minutes because of something like an offside, then it will loose that quickness that gets the game over in two hours. I think that Platini is overreacting. If you set up guidelines as to when a coach can challenge and if you enforce it, then you will get matters that can be contested. I agree, however, that there should be an extra referee outside the eighteen yard box. I also think there should be an extra on field referee. This gives you six eyes in each half of the pitch to keep an eye on things. When a call comes under contention, you could have all three refs confer with each other and go from there. Then and only if the on field ref thinks it needs to be reviewed, then you could send it up to the box.

The truth of the matter is that most calls are easily waved off in soccer, because the players are use to playing like that. An offside call might be contested but it is easily waved off and if you quickly hush up the problem players who would complain, then a replay system could work.