“Fact Or Fiction” is a series that will be run every Friday. In this series, an assertion will be made regarding an impacting topic in the Premier League. EPL Talk writers Matt Hackenmiller and Earl Reed each offer their views on whether the statement is “Fact or Fiction.” This week, The Gaffer is sitting in for Earl.
Fact or Fiction: The introduction of video replay would solve the refereeing problems in the Premier League.
MH: Fact. I have two thoughts about using video replay or any form of technology in sports. First, if a bum like me sitting on my couch can watch several replays of a controversial play, why are the important decision makers like referees afforded the same luxury? Secondly, I don’t know of any major sport that has initiated video replay and that sport became worse or lost integrity. In most cases, the sport has gotten better. With the amount of money that is involved in the Premier League now, the use of video replay is essential to ensure that all vital rulings are accurate. I realize that there is no sure fire cure all, but when the F.A. steps up and finally brings in video replay, they will not only be doing referees a favor, but football fans as well.
TG: Fiction. While incorporating video replays into the game of soccer would solve a lot of the issues we see in the game, it’s not going to be a cure-all. There will still be times when video replays, no matter how many different camera angles there are, are not going to definitively tell the person operating the video equipment whether an incident was a foul or not. Just imagine how much controversy there would be based on a crucial decision that couldn’t be decided by a video referee. The referee would then have to make the decision based on what? Based on his reading of what he saw from the videos, or what he thought he saw when it first happened?
What do you think? Is it fact or fiction that the introduction of video replay would solve the refereeing problems in the Premier League?
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