With its flagship event reeling from refereeing gaffes, Fifa must explore ways to ensure that the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will be talked about only for its football.
Refereeing controversies can linger on long after the tournament is finished and affected teams will bear the grudge over the injustice forever. Fifa’s persistent refusal to embrace technology has come under intense scrutiny.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter is a vocal opponent of technology. Earlier this year he had said that “controversies are part of the game and fans love to debate any given incident in a game.”
Blatter now has an albatross around his neck and he has to act in consultation with the International Football Association Rules Board to take the game forward.
Any law change has to be approved by the IFAR Board, which has a member each from the home nations (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and four representatives from Fifa. An amendment to a rule needs three-fourth majority of the IFAR Board.
Experimentation with additional assistants behind the goal can be given a chance with a proviso that responsibilities are clearly demarcated for all on-field officials. Te referee on the touchline can be asked to spot off-sides and fouls while the one behind the goal should be the sole authority on goal-line decisions.
Video replays to find out whether the ball crossed the goal line or not can be introduced straightaway at the World Cup. Fifa need not worry about inordinate delays because such incidents are rare. For instance, 44 years separate the Hurst goal and the Lampard goal.
Fifa can’t put an end to off-side controversies once and for all. Football can emulate field hockey and abolish off-side.
Purists will flinch at the idea, but the game will become more exciting if Fifa goes ahead with the revolutionary rule change.
With the interpretation of the delicate law being always contentious, why not do way with it? Blatter recently held consultations with FIH president Leandro Negro to find out how field hockey had coped with the abolishment of the off-side rule. Fifa’s opposition to TV replays stems from its fear that the flow of the game will be affected.
Football is all about rhythm and continuity, and Fifa may not be ready to tinker with the basic tenets of the game.