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7 APRIL 2012
Djokovics forehand
winner Down Under
A tale of two England
Six Nations tackles
Poor Suarez
in trouble again
Play like Barca:
tricks of the trade #1
The Proteas poor
show at Dunedin
TheBallHAWKEYECAN WE TRUST IT
AFTER THOSE AUSSIE LBWS?
EYE-AYE HOW WE
CAN HELP SOCCER
REFS NOW
THE TIGER PLANIS THIS THE GREAT
ONES NEW WAY?
D R E A M S D O N T D I E
How to watchsport on TV
Use your PVRlike a pro
N O B U L L J U S T B A L L
w w w t h e b a l l c o z a
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w w w t h e b a l l c o z a
The Ball is back!THE BALL is back and although its been 2 587 days since our
first (and only!) issue to date, its good to once again be provid-
ing great sports content to sports fans around the world. But onto
the issues of the day.
THERES SOMETHING ABOUT SUAREZ
Luis Suarezs snub of Patrice Evra in the recent Liverpool-Man Unit-
ed clash was a really stupid moment. Suarez was asking for trouble.
Its so much easier to look away as you shake the hand and then
theres no hassle. It all blows over. But Suarez chose to blow the in-
cident up, partly because hes such a passionate footballer. In a way
that passion is a great thing, as hes driven to succeed like a Messi,
Ronaldo or a Tevez. The drive, the force the passion is remarkableand a great inspiration unfortunately his attitude often isnt the
best for sports-lovers to follow. To not shake hands, though, was
just ri di cu lous , and it se to ff a chain of even ts wh ic h incl uded Ri o
Ferdinand, standing further down the line, responding by refusing
to shake Suarezs hand. In the match Ferdinand appeared to elbow
Suarez during a strong tackle yet the Man United man ended up
and falling and cartwheeling over on his own head, which could so
easily have resulted in a serious injury. Playing with passion and
fire is important Suarez obviously thrives on drama and, perhaps,
even tries to create it where possible. It can work sometimes but it
can also seriously backfire and lead to serious injuries. Lesson?
Discourage your players from causing unnecessary tension.
Gordon Strachan summed it up at half-time by saying that he had
had problems with a few players during his own long career but
theyd stil l shake hands for the sake of the game. Sadly, the egos
are probably far bigger today and, with the HD cameras on the
guys, it s even more accentuated. In old days it wasnt so clear
and perhaps incidents like this are over-exposed now. Today the
camera follows players like a vulture, waiting for an explosive mo-
ment. How about a ruling that the camera stays away when there
might be tension on the handshake line?
1 T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E 7 A p r i l 2 0 1 2 D R E A M S D O N T D I E T H E B A L L . C O . Z A T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E . B L O G S P O T . C O M
Shall we dance? Man United captain for the day Patrice Evra is not happy
that Liverpools Luis Suarez passed him up for a handshake. Not good.
W h y p a y f o r c a l l t i m e y o u d o n t u s e ? P a y p e r s e c o n d a n d S A V E !
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Wayne Bridge refusing to shake ex-
team-mate John Terrys hand two
years ago was a different thing as
there was a deeper personal issue
and betrayal at stake. You quite pos-
sibly could argue that Bridge should
stil l have taken Terrys hand butprobably most people understood.
With Evra it was a very explosive
issue as racism was involved, and
that understandably becomes more
than personal it becomes social. So perhaps Evra was feeling like he was also standing up for
anyone who also felt sleighted by Suarezs alleged comments. It s a difficult one for sure, but
the lesson for everyone else is that perhaps Suarez should have done what Craig Bellamy did in
the handshake line after Bridge Bellamy held out a cold, fish-like hand for Terry to shake ashe nonchalantly looked away as his hand briefly touched Terrys before sliding away. Not many
people would have noticed this but it wasnt rude or inflammatory. Equally, anyone watch-
ing it closely would say, Good work, Cra ig
you made your point but you didnt start
a riot. Perhaps thats the way to handle
situations like these.
There is another point which has perhaps
been overlooked in this whole issue, and
2 T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E 7 A p r i l 2 0 1 2 D R E A M S D O N T D I E T H E B A L L . C O . Z A T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E . B L O G S P O T . C O M
BALL OF THE MONTH Pity the penalty takers from the recent African Cup of Nations final. By that stage
the penalty spot was chewed-up, making spot kicks even more challenging. However, this penalty shoot-
out highlighted another HUGE problem in soccer that needs sorting out fast! See page 20.
WE CHALLENGED THE
SEXUAL STATUS QUO
In July 2005 The Ball produced
an indepth analysis of womens
sport yet none of the leading
womens magazines were inter-ested in publishing it , aside from
an extract in Fair Lady magazine.
This is an interesting phenom-
enon: women call for equal op-
portunities yet the women with
the power to help challenge the
status quo and bring effective
change perhaps arent helping inthe right ways. Maybe they think
sports not that important for
women, but its in the hands of
women to change. Sound unfair?
Well, in a way it is but read The
Balls report and see for yourself
the amazing potential that exists
for women to get whatever they
want in sport. No dream should be
left behind! So go get it , girls!
Its online at www.theball.co.za
A c c e s s t h e V o I P n e t w o r k s c h e a p e r c a l l s r a t e s f o r b i g s a v i n g s .
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
PARK IT AND MOVE ONsaid ex-referee Dermott Gallagher, on what refs need
to do if they make a mistake. Thats the best attitude
for players and people in all spheres of life. Park it and move on to the next thing. Dont dwell on mistakes,
errors or unfairness just get on with it and focus on
what you need to do next! Analyse later act now!
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thats the feelings of Suarez. Now, The Ball is a fan of his skil l and ability, as well as the effort he
puts into his play but were not impressed with his overall attitude to sportsmanship. However,
looking at it objectively, one has to consider that perhaps Suazrez himself might have been feel-
ing hard done by over the whole situation. Its hard to know who to trust in a sport where players
dive around on the field feigning injury as a standard practice, but you should always keep an
open mind. So think about Suarez. He claimed he was innocent yet he accepted his punishment
because he and Liverpool didnt want the distraction of a long, drawn-out appeal which, usually,is not won in the Premier League or so it would seem. So perhaps he (in his own mind) bit the
bullet as he had to sit out EIGHTmatches for Liverpool. If hes guilty then he certainly deserved
that punishment however, imagine how he would feel if he was NOT guilty?
As a passionate person, perhaps you can understand that Suarez (if he truly believed he was
innocent!) would have felt himself victimised and would have believed that Evra had unfairly
caused him to sit out eight matches, along with being br anded a racist. I guess mos t of us, under
such circumstances, might also not want to shake that persons hand. Perhaps we all need tolearn to cut each other (as well as people in the public eye) some slack more often as
we ultimately will never know what it s like to walk in another persons shoes.
For controversial stars who are always in the spotlight (and this applies equally to tal-
ented young sports people who seem to constantly get into trouble on the field through
their own overly passionate attitude), perhaps they need to ask themselves if they
would perform better by staying under the radar more of the time? Sure, having some
aggro going on often helps to pump you up and focus you for sporting battle, or maybe
3 T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E 7 A p r i l 2 0 1 2 D R E A M S D O N T D I E T H E B A L L . C O . Z A T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E . B L O G S P O T . C O M
SPOT THE BALL APRIL 2012 (RIGHT). A perfect example to follow of crossing the ball into
the box was shown by Barcelona (see page 17). But which one is the ball? Read the article
and youll know for sure, as well as discovering a top secret about crossing into the box.
THE BALL PUT A
CHALLENGE OUT TO FIFA
In June 2005 The Ball distribut-
ed a press release appeal to the
worldwide media calling for FIFA
to implement the TV referee withimmediate effect. We didnt get
much response, but there have
been some small changes in the
game and in peoples attitudes
over the years that we like to
think might have been inspired
in part by our campaign.
Its online at www.theball.co.za
Y o u r P A B X i s t h e l i f e b l o o d o f y o u r c o m p a n y s c o m m u n i c a t i o n s
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its that you need the ego of the spotlight on you either way, it wont hurt to analyse this as-
pect of your life and game and maybe even try this new, under-the-radar attitude out once in
a while. As sports people we are constantly experimenting and trying new things as we look for
the winning edge so why not try tweaking your attitude and see if it makes a difference. Just
make sure you keep the passion and drive burning strong!
After United won the match in question, Evra did a dance right in front of Suarez as he cel-ebrated with the crowd. All things considered, you could understand Evras reaction but great
credit goes to Suarez for, in that instance, not reacting in any way, keeping his control and
simply heading off to the change-room. Whether his previous actions had been bad or simply
misinterpreted, that reaction was one that earns him a gold medal from The Ball.
Red card problem
If a team loses a player due to an injury or a red card, wouldnt it be more sporting to see the
team with an advantage keep one of their players standing on the touchline by the halfway line?Make the game 10 v 10 to ensure its a better spectacle for the fans. The team with a numerical
advantage would be able to keep rotating their resting player, with the result that the tagged
player would come back refreshed each time. Teams ironic ally often play better when they do go
a man down as they have to be more determinded and have to fight harder and perhaps they
also benefit from having a litt le bit more space open on the field? The Ball would love to see that
happen, so if you want to try it out in your school or club games let us know how it works.
Good luck watching, playing and working in sport and remember always that, in sport as well as
in life, dreams dont die.
SIMON LEWIS
Editor, The Ball magazine [email protected] @push_theball
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WE CONTINUE TO
CHALLENGE THE ICC
For years The Ball has advocated
the implementation of an Aerial
Umpire in cricket. After the 1998
Headingley Test (England vs SA)I wrote a report and sent it to the
ICC, Cricket Boards and the world
media. Slowly bits of this report
have been added to the game
but why slowly? Interesti ngly, the
aerial view is (as we predicted)
now an exciting new addition to
sports coverage worldwide. Any-one whos sat on a committee
or had to answer to a board will
have good answers to that ques-
tion, and we know its not easy
to make sweeping changes and
there may be good objections to
our report, but read it for your-
self and decide for yourself what
needs to be done to get umpiring
right. Then start talking.
Its online at www.theball.co.za
d o n t m a k e y o u r s t a f f s t r u g g l e t o m a k e m o n e y f o r y o u r b u s i n e s s .
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The ones that got away...The 12th of December will go down as a memorable day of Test
cricket. Exciting Aussie opener David Warner scored his maid-
en Test ton, New Zealand secured a dramatic seven-run win over
Australia (their first in 26 years against their Trans-Tasman neigh-
bours) and Hawk-Eye threw up a couple of odd replays that got
The Ball thinking.
Im a huge fan of the Hawk-Eye sys-
tem. It s innovative, dynamic, reveal-
ing, exciting and entertaining. It also
adds monumentally to the education
of players, officials and fans, in ad-
dition to improving the enjoyment ofthe game as a TV spectacle, which
is obviously vital for everyone who
makes their living from any form of
televised sport.
However, Ive always harboured se-
rious doubts about the system being used to make decisions. It
should be used to HELP and guide, but an off-field TV umpire (or
even the onfield umpire) should have the chance to review the
normal footage as well as Hawk-Eyes info and then THEY need to
make up their minds. The thought of a machine or computer soft-
ware spewing out a decision sits badly with me. Firstly, the biggest
argument against using a simple TV replay to help make decisions
has been criticised far and wide because people dont believe that
the powers of the onfield umipre should be negated by a man view-
ing a replay off the field of play. Yet theyl l now allow Hawk-Eye
to be used? A thousand praises for
Hawk-Eye for it is a magical piece of
equipment.. . but its not a man or a
woman. Yet were happy for Hawk-
Eye to overrule the onfield umpire?
Strange logic
For 20 years weve gotten so used toTV replays being used for stumpings
and run outs.. . but, oh, only when the
umpire requests th em. So we now ac-
cept TV replays helping with certain
decisions just not all decisions. And
now the rules have changed so that
teams can request that an umpire reviews a decision if they want
it reviewed but yet this can happen only three times per innings
and, mostly, with Hawk-Eyes computer passing judgement.
It s like watching a glacier creeping along quietly during an ice age.
For 13 years The Ball has been a staunch advocate of TV replays
5 T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E 7 A p r i l 2 0 1 2 D R E A M S D O N T D I E T H E B A L L . C O . Z A T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E . B L O G S P O T . C O M
New Zealand had two LBW decisions overturned by Hawk-Eye in favour
of Australia and both times a Phantom Ball appeared!
C u t y o u r b u s i n e s s c a l l c o s t s b y 3 0 - 6 0 % . N o l i e s 0 2 1 - 7 6 2 - 9 7 1 5
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being used for every possible decision. The Ball first threw its hat
into the ring in publishing The Aerial Umpire in 1998, after the ap-
palling Headingly Test where South Africa were denied a deserved
victory by some truly awful, truly horrendous umpiring decisions.
And lets not forget those horrid memories of the 1993/94 series
Down Under when South Africa suffered seven revoltingly bad um-
piring decisions at Adelaide, decisions which played their part in
enabling a somewhat stunned Australia to claw their way back to
draw the series against the never-say-die fresh new faces from
South Africa. After the glory and triumph of Sydney where South
Africa and cricket shone brightly, Adelaide stood out like a boil on
a bald mans forehead.
However, for some reason the powers-that-be keep avoiding using
the simplest system and instead vote for expensive, convoluted sys-tems to be used to help enable us to get better umpiring decisions.
TV replays alone with a human making a decision can solve every
controversy in no time at all with almost no time delays. But, before
we go there, lets look back at 12 December 2011.
6 T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E 7 A p r i l 2 0 1 2 D R E A M S D O N T D I E T H E B A L L . C O . Z A T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E . B L O G S P O T . C O M
With 20-odd runs to win and one wicket left Lyon was trapped in front
and the umpire didnt hesitate in lifting his finger. With a review in the
bag the Aussies naturally appealled the decision. Hot Spot showed the
ball hitting Lyon on the line of leg stump, yet the Hawk-Eye predictive
view (which took an unusually long time to be played) showed the ball
pitching just outside legstump and hitting him outside leg (pic 1 +2).
On closer inspection, the spot where the ball pitched was different to
the real footage and the virtual ball that appeared as Hawk-Eyes view
(pic 3+4). In truth it was an awayswing delivery that pitched right on leg
(pic 5) and was swinging back enough to hold its line to hit leg stump
as it hit him on the pad in line with leg stump (pic 6). The onfield umpire
made the correct decision, yet the Hawk-Eye footage showed a different
point of impact on the pitch and with the pad. With such a close decision
if the point of impact is shown 5-10cm to the side its enough to radi-
cally alter the outcome. When you examine the live footage then surely
this decision needs to be thoroughly audited by the ICC and Hawk-Eye,
as clearly either the system has a major error or else there was human
error. Either way, if this sort of gross miscalculation can occur then
surely Hawk-Eye cannot be trusted with making binding decisions?
G e t t w o b u s i n e s s t e l e p h o n e l i n e s f o r j u s t R 1 5 0 ! Y a , b r u . 0 2 1 - 7 6 2 - 9 7 1 5
Actual ball
Hawk-Eye
virtual ball
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In that 2nd Test, Australia were cruising to victory after winning the
1st Test by 9 wickets. With 241 required to win the Test, the Aus-
sies were 159 for 2 before a sensational spell from Doug Bracewell
saw Australia lose seven wickets for 40 runs. It provided a couple
of hours of truly compelling Test cricket as well as being a great
sporting battle. With last-man Nathan Lyon at the crease, David
Warner kept hammering away at the bowling (and, although hes a
terrific talent, he certainly gives the bowlers plenty of hope with his
shot selection and execution!) and the target got closer and closer
until, with just seven runs needed, Bracewe ll bowled Lyon to secure
an astonishing win.
New-boy Warners ton saw him rewarded with the Man of the Match
award, despite Bracewells match-winning performance of scoring
12 in a vital 45-run 1st innings partnership, along with taking 9for 60 in the match which included securing the final wicket to
complete the dramatic win. New Zealand fans must have been a bit
miffed as it seemed like Australia was somehow being favoured
and these feelings would have been exacerbated by two LBW inci-
7 T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E 7 A p r i l 2 0 1 2 D R E A M S D O N T D I E T H E B A L L . C O . Z A T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E . B L O G S P O T . C O M
Earlier, with the score 199/7, Bracewell trapped Pattinson leg before and
the umpire gave him out, no hesitation. Australia appealed and Hawk-
Eye showed the ball to be missing the stumps BUT again the Hawk-Eye
footage took unusually long to appear and, when it did, there was again
a discrepancy with where the ball pitched (pic 2) and where it hit the pad
(pic 3). This was a very, very close decision, but as it was so close the
benefit would have reverted to the original decision. Its difficult NOT to
think conspiracy when you add the perception that it seemed to take
longer than normal for the Hawk-Eye footage to appear. The Hawk-Eye
viewed showed the ball just missing the stumps (pic 4 + 5) but if you
consider that the ball really pitched 2-3cm to the left of where Hawk-Eye
showed it pitching, and that it hit the batsman 2-3cm to the left of where
Hawk-Eye showed, then if you recalculate the projected flight of the ball
it would surely be a few centimetres closer to the stumps, in which case,
based on Hawk-Eyes projection, it WOULD have hit the stumps. Lets
presume (and hope!) that it was not human manipulation that created this
error in which case Hawk-Eye remains unreliable enough that its deci-
sions cannot be trusted. Yes, its revealing and can assist a TV ref, but
surely, based on this evidence, no-one can claim its accurate enough?
W h y p a y f o r a f u l l m i n u t e w h e n y o u o n l y s p o k e f o r 1 5 s e c o n d s ?
Actual ball
Hawk-Eye
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dents which were referred to Hawk-Eye. Both decisions went in favour of
the Aussie batsman. To be fair, there was enough benefit of the doubt that
the one could well have gone in the batsmans favour, which is always pref-
erable in LBW decisions. However, there was something extra in the footage
which concerned me.
Firstly, in both instances it took an unusually long time for the Hawk-Eye
footage to be shown on TV. If you are a Conspiracy Nut youll be looking
sideways now, but what concerns The Ball is that something funny appeared
to happen with the Hawk-Eye footage itself. Aside from taking extra time to
be shown, the actual path of the ball and impact with the batsman seemed
to be different compared to the actual path of the ball and Hawk-Eyes im-
pression of the impact points. They seemed to exhibit relatively dramatic
inconsistency.
In both instances the onfield mat appeared to not 100 percent accurately
represent the actual line of the stumps. If there is any error showing the
line of the mat then it impacts directly on how Hawk-Eye and the viewers
analyse the validity of any decision. Secondly, the points of impact were
truly bizarre: watching the replay slowly frame by frame (play the footage
at the slowest speed on your PVR) you can see how the ball landed and
the Hawk-Eye digital ball suddenly appeared onscreen as it always does
to represent the actual point of impact. However, in both instances it was
not on the EXACT spot on which the ball actually landed. It was amazing that
the commentators didnt point this out because it was so glaring, but then
commentators often dont point out (or spot) goalkeepers moving before
a penalty kick is taken in soccer (see page 20). For the one LBW appeal
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GOOD JOB, HAWKEYE
Hawk-Eyes bril l iance was il lustrated on the first
morning of the 2nd Test between South Africa and
Sri Lanka. A graphic showed exactly where Paranavi-
tana has been dismissed against seamers since July
2010. All were balls delivered in a bunch on the line
of stumps and just outside, and all between knee and
elbow height. Hawk-Eye is a great tool for guiding a
player to spot his errors and its perfect for show-
ing bowlers where to target a batsman in order to
get him out. Of course, that doesnt mean you must
only bowl to a batsman in a certain area, as it might
be that he scored hundreds of runs in that time and
that those specific balls he got out to were suddenlapses in concentration. Or he might have lost his
wicket to some of those deliveries while pushing for
the declaration. It s important to look deeper and
analyse statistics and Hawk-Eye graphs with great
care, insight and understanding. More important,
you need to remember what happened before each
dismissal. He might often get out to balls in a cer-
tain area but, for instance, these shots might have
followed him scoring a boundary or being scared by
a bouncer or perhaps being frustrated by five dot
balls in a row. Always look deeper!
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(against Pattinson), in addition to the discrepancy with where the
ball pitched, there was also a vast difference between where the
ball hit the pad and where Hawk-Eye showed the point of impact.
The digital representation of the ball suddenly appeared to the side
of the actual ball, not on the exact spot where contact was made.
The point of impact is incredi bly important as this is what the com-
puter uses to create the flight path of the ball from one point of
contact (with the pitch) to the next (the batsmans pads). Any error
in inputting these points will drastically alter the digital represen-
tation of the ball as well as its anticipated and projected future
path. My understanding is that these points are manually inputted
or verified if that is completely correct then it opens the system
up to either human error or human manipulation.
In addition, the LBW appeal against Lyon showed a front-on viewwhere the ball clearly hit the batsman in line with the stumps, yet
when the Hawk-Eye projection was shown the point of impact was
shown hitting outside the line of the stumps. Or, at least, just on
the line but with the ball angling to leg it would then have passed
wide. From what Ive read about Hawk-Eye there is a potential
explanation in terms of different camera views and angles. So my
mind is open in terms of this. However, the other two points are a
big area for concern.
The Hobart Hawk-Eye controversy is enough evidence to argue
that Hawk-Eye simply cannot be used as a closed system for giving
decisions well , unless Hawk-Eye can explain these inaccuracies
convincingly. So, whats the solution? Heres how The Ball believes
umpiring decisions should be made going forward.
HOW UMPIRES CAN USE TV FOOTAGE
TV replays can be used so easily and effectively to eradicate glaring
errors. The onfield umpires should make all their decisions boldly
and bravely with no referrals not even for run outs or stumpings!
The TV umpire (or umpires) then reviews the action and if (using
replay footage they request on the spot from the broadcasters
production crew) they spot an error then they message the onfield
umpires to inform them and request a reversal of the decision.
Its at this point that administrators, journalists and most of the
public will cry out: But it will take too long!
On the contrary, using this system we would have less time delays
than under the present system. Under The Balls system the off-
field TV umpire would have to review any required footage during
the time it takes for the bowler to walk back to his mark. If the off-
field umpire cannot spot a mistake or error before the bowler turns
to begin his run up then the chance for overturning the decision
is gone. Simple. No decisions or requests for reviews of decisions.
No waiting for a TV replay. Theres a 30-second buffer for an
umpire to watch between two to three rep lays of the action and if
he cant see a mistake from those replays then the onfield umpires
decision stands. No delays at all and, arguably, no glaring errors
will slip through.
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L o s i n g b u s i n e s s b e c a u s e y o u r i n c o m i n g l i n e s a r e a l w a y s e n g a g e d ?
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Think about this whenever theres a run out or a stumping or a
review under the DRS system then there is usually a one to two
minute delay. Thats because there is an obsession with trying to
find PERFECT decisions. However, well never get perfect decisions
all the time anyway, no matter what technology is used. What we
do need (and what is easily achievable) is a quick, cheap solution
to make sure that no glaring errors slip through and often these
errors are the sort that can change the course of a game or a play-
ers career! And thats not being over-dramatic.
Errors such as these can be spotted by everyone in the stadium
if theres a big-screen TV, along the entire worldwide TV audi-
ence. Embarrassing. Ridiculous. Unneccessary. It also demeans the
umpire in question and makes his error a major part of the result
and theres no reason for this to be the case.
If a decision is not glaringly obvious on a TV replay, or if it is so
close that the TV umpires need to watch five, six or seven replays
then, obviously, his final decision will sti l l be in doubt. Think about
it : if it wasnt stil l in doubt then the decision would have been made
quickly after one or two replays. Doesnt that make sense to you?
The solution? Lets go back to the core spirit of cricket and give the
benefit of the doubt to the batsman if a rep lay is unclear and then
we get on with the game without any delays.
Result? No glaringly obvious errors are made.
Result? No-ones unhappy.
Result? Cricket is the winner.
The TV umpire will have to be quick in reviewing these decisions
so he will l iterally have enough time for a medium or fast bowler
to walk back to his mark and turn to deliver the next ball . Bear in
mind that only after deliveries when the bowling team made an ap-
peal will the 30-second buffer really be of any relevance so only
after those few deliveries would a bowler wait at his mark for the
TV umpire to use his 30 seconds. When that 30-second buf fer is up
then the bowler has to start his run-up. Consideri ng how much time
players waste between balls changing field-placings and so on, this
30-second buffe r would not cause any time delays as most bowlers
need all that time anyway to get to the end of their run-up.
When the 30-second countdown is up the chance to overrule is
gone and the bowler must start his run up. He can stil l move his
field around and waste time if he likes, but when 30 seconds are upthe decision will revert to that made by the onfield umpire. There
would be very litt le wasted time using this system and, arguably,
there would be no obviously controversial decisions.
But what about those decisions that are very, very close? Benefit
of the doubt goes to the batsman! If you cant act ually see it pretty
clearly after one or maybe two replays then its not clear enough to
possibly ever make a confirmed decision. So play continues!
Of course, this 30-second ruling is aimed at GIVING batsmen out
if they were given NOT OUT by the onfield umpire after an appeal.
When an onfield umpire gives a batsman out THEN the TV umpire has
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until the batsman leaves the field to call him back if he can CLEARLY
see an error in the decision, starting with a first check for no-ball.
That said, if the off-field umpire is NOT CLEAR that there definitely
was an error then the onfield umpires decision must stand. Most
batsmen take between 30 seconds to a minute to leave the field
anyway, which is enough time to view a few replays. However , once
he crosses the rope then he cannot be called back, as in the rare
occasion when an umpire changes his mind or the fielding side calls
the batsman back, such as when a catcher admits the ball might
have bounced before he caught it.
Effectively no time is wasted using this system and almost all glar-
ing umpiring errors will be eradicated. AND this system could go
into effect right now as youre reading these words. The TV cam-
eras are all setup wed just need to arrange with the broadcastcompany to set up a replay monitor for the umpire and Im sure
the outside broadcast units could manage that. If not, PVR decod-
ers go for around R1 500 or so
In my Aerial Umpire Report back in 1998 I highlighted the concern
that a computerised system could theoretica lly show the wrong de-
livery on occasion s and who would know about it? Consider the one
Hawk-Eye graphic view used for LBWs that shows the flight of the
ball in question and then digitally rotates around sideways before
zooming back up and over the stumps. How do we know if that re-
ally represents the ball just bowled? With that view you dont see
the actual ball masked over the digital ball .
Thats a concern.
In the final analysis, a TV replay allows NO room for viewing error:
its crystal clear. Having Hawk-Eye footage as a backup for the
off-field umpire for LBW decisions WILL be a huge help, but Hawk-
Eye alone is not accurate enough to give dec isions. Hawk-Eye is an
amazing, entertaining and revealing system but surely wed rather
have a human using TV footage to make a decision?
Regardless of what Hawk-Eye say about the truly high accuracy
rates they lay claim to, they certainly do not have a 100% foolproof
system, so it remains open to some degree of computer miscalcula-
tion or, worse, human intervention.
Once again The Ball calls on the ICC to legislate for there to bea TV umpire with greater powers to be used in televised cricket
matches, as illustrated by The Balls recommendation for a 30-
second buffer. It s guaranteed to take less time than any other
system and its guaranteed to ensure that no obvious and glaring
errors slip through.
How can they?
Ask yourself, honestly, for the good of cricket, the players and the
fans could you ask for anything more? So, ICC can we please
have this TV umpire in place, with effective powers today or, if
not today, then tomorrow?
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A tale of two tacklesItalian rugby has come on leaps and bounds recently, but it was
still a surprise to see England struggle to a 15-19 win over the
Azzurri at the Stadio Olimpico in front of a record 72 000 crowd
who witnessed the stadiums first Six Nations match. England so
narrowly avoided defeat in what was, admittedly, really difficult,
snowy conditions but what stood out for The Ball were two tack-
ling incidents by English players. The one was a great tackling
lesson but the other could have cost England the match.
Englands Barritt (below) carelessly tackled the Italian number 11,
McLean, when he was stil l up in the air after making a solid jump
and catch. To be fair to Barritt , he didnt try to flip McLean over
or bash him sideways, he simply caught him and brought him down.
That said, it led to a penalty which put England under pressure.
Ironically, he almost helped the Italian down to the ground. If, how-
ever, he had held back for a second until McLean landed and THEN
pounced on him before he had properly settled himself, he would
either have been knocked backwards towards Italian territory, or
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A well-timed jump to catch t he ball needs to be respected under the law and its dangerous to tackle a player in the air. However, if you hold back
and wait for the player to land and THEN crash into him you wont be penalised and you have a better chance of forcing him to lose possession.
L o s i n g b u s i n e s s b e c a u s e y o u r i n c o m i n g l i n e s a r e a l w a y s e n g a g e d ?
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else possibly he would have lost the ball under the force of the
tackle. Yes, it was a small moment in the match, but it accounted
for a 25% swing in field ownership, which could have led to a try
or a penalty kick.
The lesson? Just dont do those fouls. Hard as it is to hold back,
you can learn to. Everyone knows you cant legally punch on the
field of play or gouge an opponents eyes, so in the heat of battle
players usually refrain from such actions. So why do players not
hold back from poor, i l legal tackles that cost you points as well as
giving possesion away easily? Work on this in practice holding
back from tempting tough tackles where you break the law.
Earlier in the match we saw a great England tackle that saw the
Italian in possessions arms knocked and the player charged off
balance, causing him to lose possession, which led to an England
penalty kick which led to the opening points. Youre allowed to
tackle hard, just make sure you tackle within the laws, otherwise
you lose possession and, often, substantial territory or even points.
But dont let it all be about brute force getting your tackle timed
ju st ri gh t (a long wi th some so li d contac t) can have more impact
than a poorly timed full-force tackle. Wrap yourself around your
opponent and time your impact at the exact moment that hes try-
ing to control the ball and then theres a great chance it l l burst
out of his hands. If the ball goes forward youve won possession
out of nowhere. If it bounces backwards your team-mates have a
loose ball to challenge for. It s a better position to be in than a
scrambled maul where an opponent remains clinging to the ball .
This timing aspect is the same as for the glorious ankle-tap tackle.
A well-t imed ankle-tap from the smallest guy on the field against
the largest will see him brought to ground ignominously, most likely
knocking the ball on in the process. It s something to think about
when youre being charged at by the biggest guy on the field.
Week after week we see crunching tackles that dont take into account the opponents balance and ball possession. Result? Usually the player
clings to the ball. However, time your tackle well and with some cunning and you can knock the ball out of his hand and into open play. Nice!
G e t t w o b u s i n e s s t e l e p h o n e l i n e s f o r j u s t R 1 5 0 ! Y a , b r u . 0 2 1 - 7 6 2 - 9 7 1 5
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A sensible approachProfessional golfers push themselves to the limit to find an extra
bit of oomph and 10-20 yards of additional carry or roll. Usually
Tiger Woods is jostling at the front with the rest of the guys for
this something extra but has his game matured to a new level?
Tiger has always gone long and pushed his technique to the limit to
squeeze an extra few yards out of his drives. Litt le wonder he plays
par-5s for birdie and eagle, while par-4s end up as pars and the
par-3s are pars or, often, one-over. His power has been a major
contributing factor to his success and domination, even though the
rest of his game is also astounding. However, when hes slightly off
the boil then this approach gets him into trouble. Battling to finally
get a Tour win after two years of struggle, Tiger showed signs of a
sense of caution and strategy that The Ball has seldom seen during
his astounding career. With a sniff of victory at The Honda Classic,
Tiger recorded his best-ever final round score of 62, but it wasnt
enough to prevent Rory McIlroy from securing a 2-stroke victory.
Despite blistering form that saw him pull-off two eagles, Tiger had
the discipline to play with caution on the par-four 13th. The previ-
ous round hed bogied the hole, which tempts the big-hitter. The
water wasnt really in play, but a jagged fairway and nasty bunkers
made it a tricky hole if youre at all wayward and the harder
youre hitting your driver the greater the margin for error.
Then we saw it big, bold Tiger Woods drew an iron for his tee-
shot. It seemed like a pivotal moment in his career. With a bit more
luck on his approach shot or with his putt he might easily have se-
cured a birdie but possibly more importantly was the fact that, by
playing within himself and focussing on his accuracy, he didnt end
up in trouble on the hole and dropping vital shots. He played well
enough to have a chance for a birdie but without risking disaster
and thats a lesson golfers at all levels can learn from.
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The par 4 13th at The Honda Classic saw Tiger play uncharacteristcally
sensibly, teeing off with an iron to ensure a decent approach shot.
P l a y t h e p e r c e n t a g e s h o w s a 4 0 % s a v i n g o n c a l l c o s t s s o u n d ?
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Following that greatly improved finish at The Honda Classic, Tiger
went on to coast home at the Arnold Palmer Invitational for his
first Tour win in over two years. Hes not quite back to what he
once was, but sure as Tiger wears red on a Sunday you can know
that his fellow golfers are worried about his presence again. And
its just in time for another assault on the Green Jacket.
By easing off on the pressure for great distance you give yourself
a better chance of hitting the fairway. Not only does that build
your confidence, it can also leave you with a better second shot or
approach to the green. Pros often need that extra distance to try
and slice a stroke or two off certain holes, but for most of us its
better to hit slightly easier off the tee and then take a longer iron.
Its about staying out of trouble, getting onto the green and being
in a good position to putt for birdie or par. Thats good golf.
When you have astounding ability like Tiger and even the average
Tour pro, it must be difficult to hold back or play so soft, but if
you analyse your scorecard after a round of golf then playing the
percentages is surely the way to go if you want to lower your score
consistently. Quite possibly the slightly older and now humbled
Alejandro Canizares got off to a flyer at the Avantha Masters and fin-
ished day one with seven birdies but a second-round 73 pushed him
down the leaderboard to 16th position and out of the running. One hole
offered a brilliant display of crafty golf. Canizares played an easier drive
compared to his playing partners, Mark Warren and JBE Kruger. He was
left with a longer approach shot but in a lovely spot on the fairway.
A carefully planned approach shot saw him hit the flagstick and roll a
couple of feet from the hole, allowing him to pick up a super birdie. The
bigger-hitting Warren (1-over for the hole) and Kruger (par) had longer
drives that ended in less favourable positions, leaving both players with
far more difficult approach shots. Both ended up scrambling desperately
to avoid dropping serious strokes, while Canizares strode confidently
off the green with his birdie on the way to a first-round score of 7-under.
It was a great example of course management and stroke execution.
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Tiger might have discovered a sense of golfing pragmatism that could lead him
to revitalise his career and The Ball believes that, having broken through with a
Tour win at last, Tiger is going to go on a Major-winning streak that will see him
surpass Nicklaus 18 Major wins before 2014 is up.
Of course, theres another side to the golfing story. South African Jbe Kruger re-
cently won the Avantha Masters (his maiden European tour title, at the DLF Golf
and Country Club in Gurgaon, New Delhi, India) by two strokes after finishing on
14-under 274, two shots ahead of the Spaniard Jorge Campillo and Germanys
Marcel Siem. Kruger certainly didnt shy away from adventurous strokes and, in
fact, found himself in terrible trouble on a number of occasions. However, in his
case continuing to be bold paid off handsomely over 72 holes. Perhaps it s a case
of going with your instinct or riding your luck? Either way, its essential that you
have a tactic to follow that you believe in and then execute to the best of your
ability. Kruger shot a bold 6-under 66 to steal a one-shot lead at the end of thethird day before going on for the win. This just illustrate s how hard golf is to mas-
ter and that theres no one-size-fits-all theory to hang on to. Play the percent-
ages, be bold when you need to be and learn how to manage your instincts.
The trick is to not always just go out and go big hole after hole. Be smart. What
matters is how far your first putt is from the hole.. . and also that you didnt waste
shots getting to the green. Get that right and youl l start scoring super well .
The Balls golf guide, Hit Like a Woman, Score Like a Pro, wil l be published online
in September 2012 in PDF format. For details, keep visiting www.theball.co.za or
www.push.co.za or follow @push_theball on Twitter to get the download link.
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W h y p a y f o r a f u l l m i n u t e w h e n y o u o n l y s p o k e f o r 8 s e c o n d s ?
USE YOUR PVR LIKE A PRO
A DStv PVR decoder is like having a dishwasher
in the kitchen: once youve had it then no way
can you go back. The Ball first got PVR in 2009
and life has never been the same. However, weve
picked up some tips for reall y using your PVR well.
After all, a great tool in the wrong hands can be
a dangerous thing. Heres tip number one.
PRO PVR TIP #1: THE BUFFER
Golf is a great game for replays and you get plen-
ty when watching with PVR. Being able to control
your own replays is truly special however, bear
in mind that when you watch on the buffer some-
times (if you are stopping and starting and go-ing back and forth again and again) your system
can freeze and then reset itself and youll then
bounce back to live footage and possibly miss out
on some great action. The Ball watches important
matches recorded: we select that recording from
the recordings menu and watch it, sometimes 10-
20 minutes delayed, sometimes only a few sec-
onds behind the live action. Pause and rewind
works better then and theres zero chance of a
system reboot. Dont risk the live buffer on a big
match and then youll love your PVR. Enjoy!
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Taking the gap like BarcaIf youve watched Barcelona play football in the last two to three
years you would have witnessed one of the most glorious teams
in action to have ever played the game. Last season they were
imperious but they have struggled to maintain that form this sea-
son. Nonetheless, there is so much to learn from them.
One of the keys to playing great soccer (and to enjoying success)
lies in your ability to run into space to receive a pass or a header.
If you wait for the ball with a defender on top of you hes more
likely to be able to tackle you or jostle you off the ball. By running
into space you gain half a yard on the defender, who has to fol-
low you as he obviously cant read your mind to know which way
youre going to run. At the same time, for a player to pass or cross
a ball into a mass of players is less likely to create a goal-scoring
opportunity. Running into space creates dynamic energy as well as
sowing confusion among the opposition, all of which makes a huge
difference when it comes to winning matches. It s a difficult skil l ,
but keep making those runs and eventually youl l succeed.
There are two reasons for this. Firstly, by making darting runs into
good spaces along with your team-mates all movin g around more,
rather than just jogging or ambling around you force the defend-
ers to follow you, which adds to their sporting stress and builds up
the chance for error on their part and opens up gaps in even the
most disciplined defence, who then lose some control over you.
When you make good runs (even unpredictable runs) your team-
mates will take note and will start thinking: Hey, hes running into
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Barcas Dani Alves crosses to the six-yard line against arch-rivals Real
Madrid. No-ones there as he sends the cross over, but thats the danger
zone that he expects one of his team-mates to run into. Cesc Fabregas
made a great run in to reach the ball under huge pressure from a Real
defender and he converted an unstoppable header to secure a 3-1 win.
After losing almost every match hes managed for Real against Barca,
the Special one has turned into the Special Glum!
W h y p a y t h e e a r t h f o r b / w c o p i e s w h e n y o u c a n p a y j u s t 9 . 5 c e n t s ?
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gaps and creating space away from the defenders hes making it
easier for me to pass to him. Creating these passing opportunities
makes the game more exciting and rewarding. It s far better to risk
losing the ball by crossing it into a good space than to hold onto it
for too long and enable the defence to rally around and close off
your scoring options.
Trying to score perfect goals wastes so many opportunities. Many
goals end up being scruffy, ugly affairs but rather score like that
on occasion than constantly have beautiful moves snuffed out be-
cause your attacks lack incisiveness and daring. The more chances
you have on goal the greater your odds of scoring. Theres noth-
ing more pleasing for defenders than being able to herd attackers
around like sheep so rath er break ranks and run this way and that
and youl l have the defenders following in your wake and giving you
a split-second gap to steal a shot on goal. For all the true beauty of
Arsenals play over recent years, too often they seem to be trying
to walk the ball into goal rather than risking that final daring pass.
Barcelona and Osasuna show here how a bold, brave pass into the
right space creates a chance for a team-mate to draw away from
the defence and have a relatively easy crack at goal.
Theres nothing worse than seeing a long, drawn-out move break
down without a proper attempt at goal.. . rather learn to risk los-
ing the ball in exchange for the occasional gilt-edge opportunity to
score. The more you try this the more your team-mates will learn
to anticipate these moves. Dont worry about getting your pass to
a team-mate; worry about getting the pass into the best attacking
zone! It s the job of the attackers to spot the likely destination of
your cross and to be there to meet it and pick up the medals!
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Osasuna gave Barca a taste of their own medicine during their 3-2 home win. The hosts stomed into an early two-goal lead with two strikes from
Dejan Lekic, the second of which (above) followed the same tactic as on the previous page. Barcas form has dipped markedly compared to last
season (although they are still extremely competitive), but with this defeat Osasuna showed how teams can play like Barca in order to beat Barca!
C o p y c a t ? I s y o u r b u s i n e s s p h o t o c o p i e r d o i n g t h e r i g h t j o b f o r y o u ?
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Djokovics killer winnerJanuary saw arguably the greatest Grand Slam final in history
play out at the Aussie Open as Novak Djokovic saw off the irre-
sistable talents of Rafael Nadal over almost six hours. It was grip-
ping stuff as two of the greats of world sport went toe-to-toe!
Anyone who argues that it wasnt the greatest Slam final would
be hard-pressed to admit that it wasnt the toughest, as these two
great tennis warriors slugged it out on the hard surface at Mel-
bourne in the longest Grand Slam final in history. The match lasted
five hours and 53 minutes as Djokovic finally saw off Nadal to the
tune of 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5. If that wasnt enough, Djokovic had
spent almost five hours on the Friday night before the Sunday final
sorting out a resolute Andy Murray to win a place in the fi nal. Once
there, Djokovic didnt let fatigue get in the way of his 5th Grand
Slam tit le (3rd Aussie Open tit le), as can be seen by the pinpoint
accuracy of his down-the-line winner profiled above.
Nadal brought Djokovic rushing back into his forehand corner, at which
point Rafa felt certain his opponent would go cross-court. Firstly, Nadal
had been in the corner himself, so for Djokovic to hit straight back to
him when there was an open court seemed unlikely. Secondly, hitting
cross-court would get Nadal running onto his backhand, which could
open up the chance for Novak to rush the net anticipating a weak return.
So, with a cross-court shot the obvious option, Nadal quickly scampered
towards the open court but this l eft the quick-thinking Serbian with an
opportunity. Instead of going cross-court, Djokovic turned his wrists and
slapped the ball straight down the li ne. This played onto Nadals danger-
ous forehand but as Djokovic hit his forehand right on the service line,
it gave Nadal no chance. It was a high-risk shot due to the small margin
for error, but hitting so deep left his opponent helpless to return the ball.
A longer, flatter shot will skid away quicker, whereas if he hadnt hit so
deep the ball would have bounced up more, effectively breaking ever so
slightly and that small change of pace would have given Nadal a win-
dow of opportunity to make a return. It was the perfect winner and shows
the fine margin between winning and losing a lot of which is courage!
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Eyes wide shutFootball is known as the beautiful game... but its beauty is not
shining as bright as The Ball would l ike it to. Fortunately, theres
an easy solution at hand.
Man City were playing Sporting Lisbon in the second leg of their
recent Europa League clash. Trailing 1-0 on the first leg, City were
playing like the Blues of old in an horrific first half where Sporting
scored twice for a 3-0 aggregate lead... and with the away goals
scenario City needed to score four goals in the second half. Back
in 2001 City were 3-0 down to Spurs in the FA Cup (with Joey
Barton being sent-off at half-time).. . but by the time City scored
their fourth goal in injury time that day it was clear to anyone why
football is called the beautiful game. Nothings impossible. Against
Lisbon, City rose up and played magnificently to claw back the defi-
cit, scoring three second-half goals to have the tie all squared with
10 minutes to play. Belief is an amazing thing!
Into injury time and down to the final few seconds, City won a
corner. Everyone was up in Sportings half looking for the winner.
Sporting headed the ball clear but Nigel de Jong lifted it back into
the box where Hart in his grey goalkeepers jersey, desperate for
the win beat the defender to the ball and executed a great head-
er that required an equally great fingertip save from Sportings
keeper. Time was up and the referee blew the final whistle. Exhila-
rating. A team had given their all and made sports fans and players
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Left to right: Joe Hart is held back by a Sporting Lisbon player while
making a dramatic last-second header. Should have been a penalty! Rel-
egation-threatened QPR suffered a 2-1 loss to fellow strugglers Bolton
yet QPR had this valid goal denied. Birmingham gave Chelsea a shock in
their FA Cup clash at 1-0 up when their keeper saved a Lampard penalty
but look at how the players were all encroaching on the penalty area and
how much the Birmingham keeper moved before the kick was taken. A
TV ref could have made the correct ruling in each and every one of these
instances in a matter of seconds, thereby ensuring a fairer result. Thats
what sport should be about: a tough fight and a fair contest.
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sit up, applaud and be inspired by their play. But then came the TV
replay while the Sporting players, hugging and shaking hands, left
the field.
The replay showed how, as Hart headed the ball goalwards, a Sport-
ing defender was pulling at his collar. It was amazing that Hart did
so well to get the header in, and credit to him that he didnt fall
over looking for the penalty. He was focussed on doing and win-
ning the game, not on winning a penalty, which is a great example
for young sportsmen and women to follow.
Yes, players jostle and shove and pull shirts the whole time, so
many people will say that it s just part of the game. However, it is
against the laws and IF a referee or linesman sees it clearly (which
is hard, hard, hard for them to do) he would give a penalty. So City
should have had a penalty.. . and few would have betted against
Mario Balotelli scoring in that pressured situation.
Obviously not every push and pull can be spotted on TV replays,
so often we have to accept that many will be missed and players
will sometimes get an unfair advantage. However, especially when
theres a goal incident involved, surely it s worth being able to get
a decision made correctly using a TV replay? Most of the time the
ball goes out for a corner or goalkick and before play actually con-
tinues we, the audience, have seen that an error has been made by
the referee. So the TV referee, at the cost of no extra technology
or manpower, could be used to correct some major, major errors
2 1 T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E 7 A p r i l 2 0 1 2 D R E A M S D O N T D I E T H E B A L L . C O . Z A T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E . B L O G S P O T . C O M
West Brom and Man United players storm the box before Wayne Roon-
eys successful penalty (left). Zambian keeper Kennedy Mweene saved a
vital penalty in the semi-final against Ghana while way off his line. In the
final Ivory Coasts Didier Drogba (right) blasted his kick over the post
with Mweene again off his line. Both kicks should have been retaken.
Take a look at the Ivory Coast player encroaching on the penalty box. The
lesson for all of us is dont move early as the keeper and dont encroach
on the box. Just imagine how youll feel if your keeper saves the kick or
your team-mate scores but then the ref orders it retaken because YO U
were in the box unlawfully! That would hurt so dont take the risk!
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that greatly impact on the course of a match.
Pulling shirts in the area is one issue, but there are others, such
as when a ball has crossed the line. I can understand Sepp Blatter
being wary of implementing a system that might not work, which
is perhaps why there has been such a delay in finding and testing
technical systems.. . but perhaps if they can discover a simple and
easy system whereby TV replays can be used to effectively show
within 10 seconds if there was a major error, then Im sure Blatter
and his team will realise it s all thats needed. If it s really too close
to see on more than two replays then, you know what, so bad, que
sera sera , let the game go on. When its clear on a TV replay that
the ball has crossed the line then its actually criminal not to allow
a TV referee to award a goal.
Commentators can be unforgiving: they criticise the poor lines
judges fo r no t spot ti ng when a ba ll crosse s the li ne . Cmon, guys ,
the game is so fast and there are players running across the lines
judge s li ne of vi si on the whole time and he or she is st anding
half the width of the pitch away from the ball. Cmon, guys, be fair:
when they get it right they deserve a medal for their skil l .
Another example is those litt le handballs by players. You cant pick
them all up, but name one sportsfan who agrees that Maradonas
Hand of God goal should have been allowed to stand. . . or any-
one who thought Thierry Henrys push into the goal with his hand
against Ireland was deserving of a goal? Remember that goal. . .
it made the difference between France making it through to the
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Zambias keeper (left) saved a vital semi-final penalty and a number of
penalties in the final shootout yet each time he was off his line early.
Would the result have changed if the kicks had been retaken? Possibly
and th at s how big an is sue it is . Newcastl es free -s coring st riker Dem-
ba Ba (right) had a derby penalty saved against Sunderland with the
keeper way off his line and moving before the kick. The Ball asks: how is
this any less cheating than the great Maradonnas Hand of God goal?
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World Cup finals in 2010 instead of Ireland. I d say thats a pretty big decision. . . and a TV ref
could have disallowed that goal in five seconds.
Then theres the offside law, which could be generally called correct in 95% of cases using the
TV referee. . . and dont forget about goalkeepers moving forward off the line before a penalty
has been taken AND players from both sides encroaching into the penalty box before the ball has
been kicked. . . oh, and also players breaking early from the wall for a free kick. Those actions all
break a law but referees and linesmen miss them again and again and again. In fact, it s become
so commonplace that most TV commentators dont even pick up on them any more. And, worst of
all , sometimes teams are penalised and sometimes not. Therein lies the problem: inconsistency.
Referees have proved (because theyre human, lets be fair) that they cant get all these deci-
sions right. So where does that leave us? Put a microchip in the ball? Great, that solves the
problem of knowing if the ball crossed the line for a goal (which is relevant once every 40-50
matches, lets be honest) and maybe it can help with offsides. But what technology will helpwith shirt-pulling, handballs or moving before a free kick or penalty is taken? Well, theres one
technology that will help with everything: TV replays! The question is how will it work? At no
cost to FIFA or football , here is a gift from The Ball the blueprint for solving refereeing errors
and inconsistencies.
BUT FIRST...
English referee Howard Webb made a gesture to a Man City player during their 1-1 draw with
Stoke, tapping his finger on his head and giving a knowing look. Within 10 seconds of that live
interplay between ref and player the TV crew had isolated that piece of footage (which wasnt
shown on the live footage they had spotted it on their bank of TV monitors) and were playing
THAT bit back in perfectly timed slo-mo. It made for beautiful TV . . . but, I have to ask, if the TV
crews are so good with finding and replaying different angles so quickly to keep their audience
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SWINGS & ROUNDABOUTS
How often do you hear people
claim that decisions balance out?
But do they? Man City captain
Vincent Kompany should have
been sent off twice for danger-
ous tackles in 2012 but he got
away with it in matches City were
winning. Both tackles were in the
final 10 minutes. If hed been red-
carded it wouldnt have impacted
on the match. Then he was red-
carded in the first 15 minutes
against Man United in the FACup, arguably a close call . Play-
ing 75 minutes with 10 men is a
major disadvantage compared to
losing a man for the last 10 min-
utes of a match youre winning.
Regardless of whether Kompany
deserved red or not against Man
United, this indicates how things
dont necessarily even out, and
why we simply need more cor-
rect decisions. It s only fair.
C a l l u s f o r a f r e e a n a l y s i s o f y o u r p h o t o c o p i e r a n d P A B X n e e d s .
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entertained, then why dont we just use them to find the relevant bit of TV footage to replay to
help referees make the right decisions? TV crews have fine-tuned this skill to an art form... so
why do we try and invent another system when we could use their existing skil ls and facilit ies
instead? The only reasonable objection is time-wasting.. . so lets look at The Balls blueprint for
a solution to this problem.
THE BALL BLUEPRINT FOR THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
There will be a TV referee who watches the match and selected replay footage and he has the
authority to overrule the onfield referee on any decision. However, to prevent massive time de-
lays, this TV ref only has a 10-second buffer during which time he can pick up mistakes or errors
and notify the onfield ref. This will ensure the system is speedy because if the TV ref cant spot
a clear and definite mistake after watching 2-3 quick replays then its not an obvious error and
the decision from the onfield referee and line officials stands. Logistically the buffer might need
to be 15 seconds, but in essence the TV ref will just watch 2-3 replays and if theres no clear
error then the onfield decision stands and play is not halted. This system will remove all obviousand glaring errors from the game with immediate effect.
SO WHATS OUR TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION?
Immediately, from Euro 2012 we should have a TV referee in place with the following powers:
For penalty kicks, the TV referee has a 10-second buffer in which to notify the onfield referee
of a mistake. If a goal is scored then, while the players rush off to hug by the corner flag, the TV
referee can quickly review the kick to see if any of the following laws were broken:
a) Did the keeper move before the kick was taken?
b) Were any attackers encroaching on the goal area?
c) Did the ball cross the line (only for very rare instances)?
Honestly, watching at home on PVR you should be able to tell within 10 seconds on your own
2 4 T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E 7 A p r i l 2 0 1 2 D R E A M S D O N T D I E T H E B A L L . C O . Z A T H E B A L L M A G A Z I N E . B L O G S P O T . C O M
A LEAF OUT OF RUGBYS
LAW BOOK
During the Ireland-England Six
Nations match the ref blew for
a penalty but England played ad-
vantage to score a try. The ref
asked the linesman for his opin-
ion, but he couldnt see conclu-
sively. Result? He didnt worry
about egos, so he called the TV
ref and asked him live to rule on
the decision. Result? A 100 per-
cent correct decision reached
fairly quickl y. Show me the fan orplayer whos unhappy about that
decision? Stopping the clock in
rugby avoids t ime-wasting, but
with soccers 10-second buffer
there would be no time wasted. A
further benefit is that rugby play-
ers get a breather when theres
a delay for their TV ref. . . and that
gives them time to recharge and
come back fresher and maybe
also review their tactics.
L o s i n g b u s i n e s s b e c a u s e y o u r i n c o m i n g l i n e s a r e a l w a y s e n g a g e d ?
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if the keeper moved early or if players were inside the box before the ball was kicked. With
broacastings high-tech systems it will be easy. So no time is wasted and no errors happen.
If the penalty kick is saved or is missed (hits the post or misses the goal altogether) and the
ball goes out for a corner or a goalki ck, then the TV refs 10-second buffer wont waste any time.
He simply signals an error before play restarts. No time is wasted and no errors slip through.
If the kick is saved or hits the woodwork and goes back into play, then a live-action 10-second
buffer is in place. In such instances, play will continue and the TV ref has 10 seconds in which
to spot any infringement or movement. If he is certain of an error then he notifies the onfield
referee and overrules the decision. The match is then stopped and the kick is taken again. Only
10 seconds of play are then wasted. Thats far from a Greek Tragedy if it helps us get the
right decisions and, think about it , sometimes when a foul is committed play goes on for about
10 seconds anyway until the referee notices the lines judge flagging. So a 10-second buffer is,
in effect, part of the game anyway already. In fact, well lose less time with this system as thereferee usually takes 30 seconds to a minute to notice the linesman flagging and then consulting
with him, while chasing away the arguing players. Usually 10-30 seconds are wasted... and thats
stil l more than if we used the TV referee with a 10-second buffer.
One further benefit is that the TV referee would have a clear and unbiased view and would only
make a decision if it s a clear error. Players often argue with the referee about a decision for
10-30 seconds in the hope that the referee will doubt himsel f or consult his lines judge to change
his mind. However, with a TV ref overruling wrong decisions theres nothing players can do be-
cause they dont have access to the TV referee and, besides, because he has a clear TV view
and the chance to view a replay or two, it s obvious that hel l be ensuring the right decision is
being made. No more onfield arguing.
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PENALTY KICKS
In The Four Finals (theball.co.za)
The Ball highlighted how, in
the 2005 FA Cup final penalty
shootout, the keepers were off
their line for five out of the 10
kicks and the penalty that was
saved saw the keeper well off his
line before it was kicked. A TV
ref could have overruled it in an
instant. In the 2005 Champions
League final that Liverpool won,
both keepers were off their line
four times before the kick wastaken... with three being saved.
They should have been retaken.
Watch any match and youll see
keepers moving forward early
and players entering the penalty
area too soon, even with the ref
and a linesman standing close
by. The major problem, however,
is that only sometimes the ref
blows for a retake. . . and thats
then inconsistent! Big problem.
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How much better would football be without the wasted time of players harassing the referee ... not
to mention improving the image of the game because players will end up arguing less as it WILL
be pointless. Honestly, that alone is really enough of an argument to get this change instituted.
In addition, for Euro 2012 the TV referee will be able to alert the onfield referee if the ball
crossed the goal-line or not. This is a quick, easy decision to make using a replay and has a huge
impact on a match. . . so it s green-lighted from now on by The Ball for all televised matches.
WHAT DO WE DO FOR WORLD CUP 2022?
After 10 years of using the TV ref in the beautiful game everyone will accept its presence and
applaud it . Then well be ready for the next step. For World Cup 2022 well give the referees help
with one of their most difficult decisions offsides.
Offsides is an awful rule. It was brought about largely to stop players loitering down by the goal-
keeper waiting for a long clearance kick. It was from a different era. Do we need it today? TheBall believes we dont . If anything, it spoils the beautiful game. If a team wants to waste a player
by letting him hang around in the opposition half then they should be allowed to and an added
benefit is that it l l spread the field, leaving the midfield less congested and giving teams scope
to play with greater flair.
The Ball would do away with offsides, as it also breaks down play, stops the action and calls
a halt to exciting moves. What is especially awful is when a player is marginally offside in a
crowded penalty box. Really? Is that a trainsmash? It ruins the game by preventing goals, which
is what the crowd are after. If scrapping offsides is too big a step then what about ruling that
players can only be offsides between the halfway line and the oppositions penalty box? If the
ball is past the line of the penalty circle then players can stand anywhere. How exciting will
football be then with extra daring crosses and runs into the box?
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YELLOW AND RED CARDS
For red cards the TV ref should
have a 30-second buffer to view
a replay and tell the onfield ref-
eree what he saw. Players dont
leave the field in under 30 sec-
onds, so it wouldnt delay the
match. For yellow cards, if the
TV ref can see a mistake then let
him over-rule it . You dont even
have to stop play the TV re f
can inform the onfield ref within
a 30-second buffer and (at the
next break in play), he can givea signal to show that the yellow
card has been rescinded. Players
wont argue with the ref need-
lessly or tactically theyll know
that if the ref has made an error
its likely to be over-ruled by the
TV ref. So, as a result , any direct
arguing with the ref is an auto-
matic yellow card. That will save
time and improve the image of
the game. Its a no-brainer.
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That is the recommendation and the passionate plea of The Ball. . .
but knowing that will have too much opposition well also table the
following option for World Cup 2022 for the offsides rule:
The linesmen raises his flag to signal an offside decision. . . but the
referee waves play on.
As play continues, the TV ref instantly reviews the offside deci-
sions and has his 10-second buffer in which to inform the onfield
ref if it WAS offsides. No train smash and
almost no wasted time.
With offside calls there is usually a good de-
gree of moaning to the linesman and the ref-
eree. Well, if players know that the decision is
being confirmed either way by a referee watch-
ing a TV replay there will be nothing for them
to argue about. So well save more time thereand ALSO improve the image of the sport.
The offside rule is monumentally difficult for
the ref and linesman to call and it s tough for
them considering all the criticism they receive. . .
especially with the high-tech TV coverage that
gives the whole world a better view of each
decision than the ref has.
SHOULD WE TALK ABOUT EURO 2032?
For Euro 2032 The Ball would implement the
following changes:
Corner-kick and goal-kick decisions will be reviewed by the TV
ref in a 10-second buffer to see if he can spot a deflection off the
goalkeeper, defender or an attacking player. Have you ever seen a
corner-kick or a goal-kick taken quicker than 10 seconds after the
ball went out of play? So there would be no wasted time or delays.
How often do teams score from a corner when they shouldnt have
had it? What about when a team earned a corner but a goal-kick
was awarded? They lose out on a good goal-
scoring opportunity. Result? Greater fair-
ness and consistency using TV replays. . . and
football wil l be the winner.
If a goal is scored then, while the players
celebrate for 30-seconds-plus, the TV re f
uses a 30-second buffer (while the playersare hugging and kissing!) to check for shirt-
pulling, the ball crossing the line and even
handballs. Result? No chance of any obvi-
ous or glaring errors slipping through, and
no time delays beyond whats happening on
the field of play. And, again, if a decision is
overruled or upheld, then the players arent
going to argue because they know a TV re -
play is auditing the onfield ref.
In addition, what will start happening is that
players will stop il legally pulling shirts and
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Man Citys Mario Balotelli has rarely been
seen to miss a penalty kick, but even so, see
how the Sporting Lisbon players encroached
on the penalty box before he took his spot
kick in their Europa League clash. This sort
of encroachment happens in more than half of
penalties taken. The TV ref can pick these up
easily, which will ensure players stop doing
this as they know theyll be spotted. Hope-
fully that new attitutude will roll over on to
untelevised matches at all levels as well.
A c c e s s t h e V o I P n e t w o r k s c h e a p e r c a l l r a t e s f o r b i g s a v i n g s .
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all sorts of other infringements because theyl l know theres litt le
chance of them getting away with it.
So, overall, it will just take us 20 years
from today to have a system in place that
involves no extra technology other than
the TV cameras and broadcast crews that
are already in place. No controversy, play-
ers happier, fans happier. . . and referees
not blamed for defeats or branded cheats.
Sounds good? Well, the even better news
is that we dont need to wait 20 years for
this situation. This could all be implement-
ed in time for Euro 2012.
Now aint that exciting!?
POST-SCRIPT: PENALTY SAVES
The African Nations Cup saw a ridicu-
lous amount of inconsistency with penalty
kicks but we see it equally in the Bar-
clays Premier League, La Liga and Serie
A matches. Ghanas Asamoah Gyan had a
penalty saved by Zambian keeper Kennedy
Mweene in the semi-final when the keeper
moved before the kick was taken. At that
stage of the match if the penalty had been
retaken and they had scored then possibly the stronger Ghana side
would have swept home to victory. As it happened , Zambia put on a
great fight and pulled off a shock 1-0 win
to go through to the final. It was great for
sport.. . but Ghana were theoretically hard
done by.
In the final, Zambia were putting up a brave
fight but the powerful Ivory Coast side
were looking dominant. Another penalty.. .
and this time Ivory Coasts reliable Didier
Drogba blasted it over the bar. Again Zam-
bias keeper moved before the kick was
taken, so that penalty should have been
retaken. Brave Zambia kept fighting andtook the match to a penalty shootout
where one of the first few kicks was re-
taken because the linesman spotted the
keeper moving. However, the same lines-
man then missed five other kicks where
the keeper moved. And not even the com-
mentators mentioned these, despite the
ref having blown up for one such infringe-
ment! If keepers know their move WILL
be picked up and a kick taken again then
theyre NOT going to risk infringing. Soccer
will then be a more beautiful game.
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Even with linesmen standing right next to the keep-
er for penalty kicks they still time after time are un-
able or unwilling to flag for a retake when the keep-
er has moved. Of course its difficult to actually be
looking in two places at the same time but thats
where the TV ref will be foolproof. Anyone can tell
on one TV replay if the keeper moved before the kick
was taken. Carlos Tevez miserable start to the sea-
son might well have been improved had be rightly
been given the chance to retake his missed pen-
alty against Wigan (above) which the keeper saved
thanks to a giant step forward and across before
Tevez had kicked the ball.
C a l l F I F A t o c o m p l a i n a t 5 7 c e n t s a m i n u t e o n p e r s e c o n d b i l l i n g .
P tt P t
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Pretty poor, ProteasYou should neve r, ev er discount the ab il it y and threat of a New
Zealand cricket side, for they are a resolute bunch of cricketers
and usually possess two or three high-quality players. But the
might of the Proteas should be enough to put the Kiwi challenge
to bed over a five-day Test. So why the draw in Dunedin?
For me, the key point is that we failed to amass a really big first
innings total to put the Kiwis on the back foor from the start. The
first innings of a Test can, of course, prove tricky as the batsmen
get to grips with the pitch although in this 1st Test Smith and
Amla had set a solid foundation by each notching 50s to leave the
Proteas sitting pretty. Almost in a flash South Africa were in a spot
of bother, six down for around 150 with Jacques Kallis and AB de
Villiers back in the hut for ducks. Yeah, it can happen to anyone
but The Ball was a little concerned about the manner of their dis-
missal and how it impacted on the rest of the Test, as it allowed
New Zealand to gain the upper-hand. Now, this isnt any form of
attack on the batsmen in question The Balls aim is to educate
sports fans and players to achieve a deeper understanding of sport
as a whole, as well as to empower players at all levels to think
about the game in greater detail and the easiest way to do th