Dissapointed- The goal that Never was.

[Royal With Cheese]

The ball was won cleanly, Ronaldo fell over. That does not make it a penalty.

He definately fell over. It's easy to see with the slow motion cameras but it was a classic example of the "trailing leg" syndrome - Ronaldo had to change his stride pattern to "fall over" the outstretched leg of the defender. I totally sympatise with the referee - when I saw the incident in real time from the angle the ref had it looked like a penalty to me. However, if a video panel was to ban any player for simulation in the box it would probably cut it out I would say after 1 game.

[Franchise FC]

The ball was won cleanly, Ronaldo fell over. That does not make it a penalty.

He definately fell over. It's easy to see with the slow motion cameras but it was a classic example of the "trailing leg" syndrome - Ronaldo had to change his stride pattern to "fall over" the outstretched leg of the defender. I totally sympatise with the referee - when I saw the incident in real time from the angle the ref had it looked like a penalty to me. However, if a video panel was to ban any player for simulation in the box it would probably cut it out I would say after 1 game.

I agree with (almost) everything you say.

However, I'm struggling to see ANY view of the incident that didn't show anything other than a fantastically timed tackle.

[Thaumagurist*]

And what about the Wigan dive?

Interestingly enough, Mark Hughes mentioned video assistance for referees in his post-match interview.

[Franchise FC]

And what about the Wigan dive?

Interestingly enough, Mark Hughes mentioned video assistance for referees in his post-match interview.

The trouble is, as I've said till I'm blue in the face, how and when do you stop the game to have a look at the video evidence ?
Take the Ronaldo incident.
If the game had been stopped just as Gardner was about to hoof the ball to Kevin Davies who was unmarked on the halfway line, then Bolton are penalised.
If, however, the game had been stopped juts as Gardner was about to miskick to another Man Utd player in a shooting position, then Man Utd are penalised.

If you work on the theory that the decision is suspended until the ball goes out of play, then what do you do about added time ? What if the ball is next out of play in the net at the other end - PANDEMONIUM.

Football just doesn't stop often enough for video to work.

My view, FWIW, is that divers and other (deliberate) cheats should, based on video evidence, be given a three match ban for a first offence and six for a second offence.

Goal-line instances might be fixed by some goal-line technology that isn't video, but that's the only way forward.

[Wycombe Royal]

Here is an update on Mr Bannister:

Apparently "Loony Linesman", Nigel Bannister, the man who awarded Reading a non-existent goal against Watford at Vicarage Road recently, has been demoted by the Football League following that performance.

So much so, in fact, that last night he found himself running the line at Blyth Spartans as they took on Whitby Town in an FA Cup Second Round Qualifier replay in front of just 405 fans.

Nothing too funny about that. Unless you're a Watford fan, maybe.

But what is quite funny is that every time Blyth shot wide of the goal, all the Blyth supporters started cheering and celebrating as if the ball had gone in the net.

This happened so often that in the end the stadium announcer, failing to see the irony or the joke, felt it necessary to correct the supporters and advise over the tannoy that the ball had not actually gone in the goal.

English football fans have got to be the best in the world. Four hundred poor souls watching Blyth Spartans v Whitby Town on a cold night on the North East coast at the end of September, and still they can see the funny side at a match like that.

[Stooper]

Here is an update on Mr Bannister:

Apparently "Loony Linesman", Nigel Bannister, the man who awarded Reading a non-existent goal against Watford at Vicarage Road recently, has been demoted by the Football League following that performance.

So much so, in fact, that last night he found himself running the line at Blyth Spartans as they took on Whitby Town in an FA Cup Second Round Qualifier replay in front of just 405 fans.

Nothing too funny about that. Unless you're a Watford fan, maybe.

But what is quite funny is that every time Blyth shot wide of the goal, all the Blyth supporters started cheering and celebrating as if the ball had gone in the net.

This happened so often that in the end the stadium announcer, failing to see the irony or the joke, felt it necessary to correct the supporters and advise over the tannoy that the ball had not actually gone in the goal.

English football fans have got to be the best in the world. Four hundred poor souls watching Blyth Spartans v Whitby Town on a cold night on the North East coast at the end of September, and still they can see the funny side at a match like that.

[Stranded]

And what about the Wigan dive?

Interestingly enough, Mark Hughes mentioned video assistance for referees in his post-match interview.

The trouble is, as I've said till I'm blue in the face, how and when do you stop the game to have a look at the video evidence ?
Take the Ronaldo incident.
If the game had been stopped just as Gardner was about to hoof the ball to Kevin Davies who was unmarked on the halfway line, then Bolton are penalised.
If, however, the game had been stopped juts as Gardner was about to miskick to another Man Utd player in a shooting position, then Man Utd are penalised.

If you work on the theory that the decision is suspended until the ball goes out of play, then what do you do about added time ? What if the ball is next out of play in the net at the other end - PANDEMONIUM.

Football just doesn't stop often enough for video to work.

My view, FWIW, is that divers and other (deliberate) cheats should, based on video evidence, be given a three match ban for a first offence and six for a second offence.

Goal-line instances might be fixed by some goal-line technology that isn't video, but that's the only way forward.

Considering that in an average 90 min game of football, the ball is in play for around 50mins on average, then that point can easily be argued against.

[floyd__streete]

This happened so often that in the end the stadium announcer, failing to see the irony or the joke, felt it necessary to correct the supporters and advise over the tannoy that the ball had not actually gone in the goal.

Surely the subsequent goal kick or corner kick rather than kick off would have given the game away?

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Considering that in an average 90 min game of football, the ball is in play for around 50mins on average, then that point can easily be argued against.

It could if stoppages were regular, but you could easily have a couple of minutes worth of play between an incident and the next stoppage. Then again, if the ref has just given a penalty then you have a stoppage right there, and the defending team might not be too bothered about the stoppage as if it's not a penalty, then presumably they'd get a free kick or similar.

The problem with that though would be that refs would be more inclined to award penalties as they'd know they could go to video to double-check, and it could result in an increase in penalties in matches, as all those minimal contact type penalties which aren't called now would be given.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

This happened so often that in the end the stadium announcer, failing to see the irony or the joke, felt it necessary to correct the supporters and advise over the tannoy that the ball had not actually gone in the goal.

Surely the subsequent goal kick or corner kick rather than kick off would have given the game away?

It didn't at Port Vale a few years back when a couple of hundred of our fans celebrated a last minute "equaliser" that went over the bar (but rolled down the back of the net).