In the first part we discussed there being a fine line between success and failure. We also briefly discussed some of the consequences. Football is a billion dollar industry and when money is involved, there is always a lot at stake. When it comes to external influences, the referee has a huge part to play, no different to any other sport, however in football, it seems the decisions are far more costly than most.

I think the only other sport where the decisions made by the referee or judge impacting the final decisions are in Boxing or MMA fighting. But for a sport like football, where the popularity is worldwide, the stakes are high, the consequences great, why are we leaving the decisions to one man/woman and a split second judgement call.

Can we not learn from other sports, say the NFL, Basketball, and Tennis. These sports have implemented video play backs where the referees can go to the video, rewind the play and make a more measured and calculated call at the highest level. Would this not make sense for a game that has so much at stake?
The argument on the other end is that we would lose the continuity and the flow of the game. But surely the flow is already being interrupted by meaningless decisions, players diving and faking injuries to get their fellow professionals booked or sent off.

This is a game of inches, so much at stake and such a fine line between success and failure. Surely it is time for better refereeing, more accountability in that area, and video play backs to assist the referees in making better decisions.