referee in cricket and soccer world cup?
456046
Steve Bucknor has umpired in the Cricket World Cup as well as refereed in a Soccer World Cup qualifier.\n\nHe also now holds the records of umpiring more Test matches than anyone else.
1139199
Referees have >50000 people watching their every call. + over a billion people watching them on TV. That is a LOT of pressure. They are humans after all, they can have flaws too.\n\nOn the other hand, they are professional, so they should behave accordingly.\n\nIn that game per say, there could have been bad calls but since FIFA do not want to use replay in match, they were not able to review the famous penalty call (and many other calls). To me it was not evident either way.  If I was the ref, I would have called it. After reviewing it, not so sure anymore...
1028305
Have faith in your teams ability to overcome all odds Francis. Great things have happened for less favoured sides as we have witnessed. This WC is not as clear cut as many predicted prior to it commencing. Referee's have ruined many a good game and influenced results with the handing out of yellow and red cards like confetti at a wedding. However with the spotlight shining brightly on the performances of officials, let us all hope that FIFA have had the ethics to impart the importance of good honest refereeing on their officials so that the WC is remembered for the performance of the teams rather than the lack of by those officiating.
1122364
True that,they are human. But this is a world class international tournament and requires and deserves world class performances. They are paid an obscene amount of money to do a job. If we regular folk were to perform our jobs with crucial mistakes as they have we would not have a job to return to. The highest standards are expected from our players and this can't happen without the referee's doing the same.
369739
They must either be a division 1 or division 2 referee, depending on which is higher. They must also have the credentials to participate.
1134307
Said Belqola refereed the Final. The first referee from Africa to officiate the Final.\nSadly, Mr Belqola died during the last World Cup in Japan/Korea.
990128
Fixed in whose favour?????????\nFrom what I have just learnt about this card happy referee, that I don't think either team may benefit from, especially the Australian side.\n\nAddition: Since when has FIFA ever made a decision that favours us or done the Socceroo's any favours.
1164017
I agree the refereeing has been bad, but I however don't feel it is all their fault.  Fifa has told them to referee a certain way, which is way more tight then players are used too.  This in turn create way more cards.  While there have been some awful decisions like the 3 yellows, or the PK against the US, most of the refereeing is following the strict rules fifa has put in place.  Referees are just easy scapegoats, they are the middlemen in fifa's plan to clean up the game, and get rid of bad challenges, dives, and time wasting.  I feel right now players are having a hard time adjusting to this, and therefore we are seeing way more cards.
1004793
It is not "umpire": it is a referee!\nEach match has different referees!\nHe/she is a person and can make mistakes like anyone else.
339260
What sport and level are you talking about?  Often referees are given games by an assignor who will verify competence.
1112113
Ah, there was some confusion in the translation of the memo the refs got before the WC started and it was too late to switch.\n\nThe original memo said the referees in the world cup need to dress mannequins.
1186474
Too many fouls spoils the game not to mention the effectivness of the referee. I think it has been proven too many times that when a game is stopped constantly for fouls that the referee begins to lose control of the game. That kind of frustration is neither wanted or needed on the field of battle. \n\nIt doesn't matter whose fault it is. Player or ref. What matters is how the sports governing body determines how they want the game to be played. Tight or loose. I think this years World Cup is being played way to tight and the number of yellows and reds is maring the game and making it rather boring. \n\nI would not be surprised that at some point in this tournament a major altercation, and an international incident,  breaks out as a result of the tightness of the referring.
1002265
Yes the referee is part of the game. It happened to me once when I refereeing a U13 game. The ball was kicked hard at me and tried to move away but it knocked off of me. It then went to an attacker and he scored a goal. The defending team complained but I told them I am as much a part of the game as them.
1057787
Mexico I think. They have 2 referees in this year's WC.\nOther countries seem to only have one each.\n\nWe're talking about referees here, not assistant referees.
1131563
I hope it is not true as these are international matches and referees
1183611
From the match Australia v Italy, what a disgusting display of refereeing. All games so far have had bad calls. I hope the final is a clean game, for the game itself. How many soccer fans are let down by bad calls right now?
1034891
They can be from the same country.\n\nBut the referees cant be from the countries playing, or other countries in the same stage group, or country that they would fight in the next match if they win, or neighbourhood country, or issue country's(Irak-USA, and other conflict areas)\n\nIn this would cup, I have seen a lot of referees from countries that didn't qualify. That would be more fear.