Problem is at each world cup they have referees from every confederation. This means you get some officials from footballing minnows and backwaters. For instance therre was a team of officials from NZ. While giving them due respect it must be stated that they are amatuers, not professional refs. While being all inclusive is fine and dandy I'd rather see that at future world cups the very best and proven officials from around the world get to ref the games.
Hokkaidoboy: While I disapprove of Nishimura's refereeing the opening match, I am not willing to call him biased or not correct person. He's a Japanese citizen.
...and Japanese citizens cannot be biased or incorrect? Wow.
As others have already said, I don't think it's bias as much as it's lack of ability and inexperience. FIFA just needs to employ the best referees from the top leagues instead of using referees from so many lesser leagues.
I agree with USNinJapan2. FIFA should bring in the very best referees that normally work Spain's La Liga, Italy's Serie A, England's Premier League and Germany's Bundesliga to officiate World Cup games. These referees are used to diving antics and will help put a stop to those shenanigans.
They're not biased but as has been mentioned previously a number of them don't have the experience in the bigger games. It comes up every World Cup and the best suggestion is that an elite group of referees from each of the continents gets experience refereeing in the major domestic leagues so that they are used to refereeing the big games and the bigger atmospheres.
That won't rule out mistakes because you see them week in week out in the Premier League and other leagues but will better prepare the referees.
Having played football in Japan for 15 years, I can assure you that lots of Japanese refs are biased. Many has been the time I've gotten a card from a grinning ref for absolutely nothing. You can add pedantic and ignorant of the rules to their qualities too
We have this discussion around football all the time, and it's always ridiculous. The referees are humans who have to make a call on the spot, with massive amounts of pressure on them constantly, without the aid of dozens of super slow motion replays from dozens of cameras that are able to determine to a millimetre if they got it right or not. They do it in the heat of the moment, and it's unerring how often they get it right. I think they do, and have done a fabulous job this World Cup.
As long as human referees adjudicate a match, close calls and hairline decisions will be part of the theatre of sport. FIFA are not going to change this. They might modify it, but if humans play the game, humans should also referee it.
Occasionally, people make mistakes. That, my friends, is part of the game.
Haven't watched a game yet, and don't intend to. FIFA is corrupt, today's players are overpaid and with a few exceptions, underwhelming. What is the combined monthly salary of the England team again? Remind me how they did.......?
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Hokkaidoboy
While I disapprove of Nishimura's refereeing the opening match, I am not willing to call him biased or not correct person. He's a Japanese citizen.
Wakarimasen
Making a mistake is different from being biased.
SimondB
Problem is at each world cup they have referees from every confederation. This means you get some officials from footballing minnows and backwaters. For instance therre was a team of officials from NZ. While giving them due respect it must be stated that they are amatuers, not professional refs. While being all inclusive is fine and dandy I'd rather see that at future world cups the very best and proven officials from around the world get to ref the games.
Jimizo
Weak rather than biased.
The Original Wing
...and Japanese citizens cannot be biased or incorrect? Wow.
Nessie
That kick to the face in the Italy game was egregiously missed by the refs.
USNinJapan2
As others have already said, I don't think it's bias as much as it's lack of ability and inexperience. FIFA just needs to employ the best referees from the top leagues instead of using referees from so many lesser leagues.
Raymond Chuang
I agree with USNinJapan2. FIFA should bring in the very best referees that normally work Spain's La Liga, Italy's Serie A, England's Premier League and Germany's Bundesliga to officiate World Cup games. These referees are used to diving antics and will help put a stop to those shenanigans.
Heda_Madness
They're not biased but as has been mentioned previously a number of them don't have the experience in the bigger games. It comes up every World Cup and the best suggestion is that an elite group of referees from each of the continents gets experience refereeing in the major domestic leagues so that they are used to refereeing the big games and the bigger atmospheres.
That won't rule out mistakes because you see them week in week out in the Premier League and other leagues but will better prepare the referees.
ClippetyClop
Having played football in Japan for 15 years, I can assure you that lots of Japanese refs are biased. Many has been the time I've gotten a card from a grinning ref for absolutely nothing. You can add pedantic and ignorant of the rules to their qualities too
philsandoz
Could we please have a "I don't give a damn" option to this question?
Tamarama
Nah, they haven't been biased.
We have this discussion around football all the time, and it's always ridiculous. The referees are humans who have to make a call on the spot, with massive amounts of pressure on them constantly, without the aid of dozens of super slow motion replays from dozens of cameras that are able to determine to a millimetre if they got it right or not. They do it in the heat of the moment, and it's unerring how often they get it right. I think they do, and have done a fabulous job this World Cup.
As long as human referees adjudicate a match, close calls and hairline decisions will be part of the theatre of sport. FIFA are not going to change this. They might modify it, but if humans play the game, humans should also referee it.
Occasionally, people make mistakes. That, my friends, is part of the game.
Gobshite
Haven't watched a game yet, and don't intend to. FIFA is corrupt, today's players are overpaid and with a few exceptions, underwhelming. What is the combined monthly salary of the England team again? Remind me how they did.......?