Run up and down in straight lines.
Hold a small flag to use for pointing left and right.
Pay very little attention to the match but occasionally put your flag up.
Be a complete pussy when tough decisions are to be made unless you are Russian and drunk.
Run to the ref at half time and full time so he can show you the way out.
Report Wenger to the ref if he kicks any inanimate object.
If you do not follow these rules, you will be slated and demoted from the top leagues.
Seriously though, you described how i want all linespeople to behave but ...

What seems to have been lost in this discussion is that the Norwich player's body was blocking the ref's line of sight, thus making it impossible for him to see the player's firm grip of Giroud's shirt. He could have been even closer to the incident, but at that angle he was NEVER going to see that. The linesman on the other hand was at an angle where he could clearly see the incident, despite being a lot farther away.

The only real discussion worth having here is whether that should be a penalty at all. I am saying that because this kind of situation where defenders wrap their arms around the attacker, tugs his shirt etc, goes on pretty much on every corner and dead ball situation when a ball is played into the box.

In my opinion the ref got it right. I think MORE penalties should be given for similar offences. Only way to clean the game up in situations like that.

Doesn't matter if he's blocked or not. Distance does not necessarily mean lesser viewpoint.

Hold up a newspaper lengthwise (i.e. facing left or right) in front of ya and read the headline. Not easy? What about a guy much further away but actually facing the headline? Yeh.

Rex wrote:

What seems to have been lost in this discussion is that the Norwich player's body was blocking the ref's line of sight, thus making it impossible for him to see the player's firm grip of Giroud's shirt. He could have been even closer to the incident, but at that angle he was NEVER going to see that. The linesman on the other hand was at an angle where he could clearly see the incident, despite being a lot farther away.

End of discussion.

Theres nothing more pathetic that people complaining about how a correct decision was awarded.

I think there is another discussion worth having though which this incident highlights - the inconsistency in how referees view situations like this one.

On pretty much every corner and freekick where the ball is hit into the box we see offences like this one where the defending players are grabbing and holding attacking players. At the same time we see attacking players on purpose blocking defenders.

I think the ref and the lino got it right here, but that is really an exception from the norm when instead that should be the norm.

Thats true, there was plenty of similar shirt pulling on all our corners, that classic "make sure you know where your man is" thing we're all familiar with where you put your hand on the attackers shirt as the ball comes in but then you eventually hang on to it to be sure. Easily done but every instance is a foul.

Important to point out that our players do it too. It is a problem for football though.

qs! wrote:

Thats true, there was plenty of similar shirt pulling on all our corners, that classic "make sure you know where your man is" thing we're all familiar with where you put your hand on the attackers shirt as the ball comes in but then you eventually hang on to it to be sure. Easily done but every instance is a foul.

Yep make sure your arm is around his neck so as you know where he his.

I am reminded of the funniest tackle in World Cup history.
Would have been ok, with this ref, but for the flying shoe!

Yep one of the greatest tackles in WC history- I remember it well......

But the funniest incident was this-
Brazil awarded a free kick, ref blows whistle for the kick to be taken and Zaire player runs out and lashes ball away.

Followed by this-
Emir of Kuwait descends from the stands and stops the game as he wants "to just speak to his players".

those two clips...

Those two border on ridiculous.
Reason i found the Cameroonian one funny was the determination Massing sets off with after seeing Caniggia huddle over 2 assault attempts with the flying shoe being the cherry on top.
The silly "afters" when he tries to kick the Argentinian player with his yellow sock is pathetic but the clincher for me was the ref thinking about it.

But you remember it in context Tone- This was the first game of the eagerly awaited 1990 world cup, this was in the days where black Africa usually only had 1 team in the finals and they were playing the reigning champions no one had heard of them and no one gave them a chance.
At this time also the game was dominated by super organised highly disciplined and sophisticated defensive tactics which allowed back passing to the goalkeeper, yet here they were a team of joyous adventurous and naive players who were somehow leading with time running out, Carniggia was like a sort of Theo one trick speedster pony there was real danger every neutral wanted him stopped somehow, Claudio wasn't hurt and Benjamin Massings aerial assault was so comically hilariously ott that you had to laugh.

You are right. Everyone expected an Argentinian "walk in the park" result.
Didn't feel sorry for them because they were cynically throwing themselves to the floor everytime a Cameroonian came close to them and in most instances that ref gave them nothing.

Heh heh it wasn't a vicious assault it was totally naive without any attempt to disguise it as a legitimate challange thats what made it so funny, the handbags with the yellow sock was the icing on the cake.
I think he was going to body check him but Carniggia was just to fast and he knew he wouldn't get there so he just leap like an indomitable lion chasing an antelope.

Biggus wrote:

I think he was going to body check him but Carniggia was just to fast and he knew he wouldn't get there so he just leap like an indomitable lion chasing an antelope.

That's just turrible.

that was the first time I'd seen that Emir clip. wth was he thinking?

Why are my fellow countrymen running around in public wearing matching colourful pyjamas?
Let me tell them personally where they can get flowing white dresses and a fancy hat!

flobaba wrote:

Biggus wrote:

I think he was going to body check him but Carniggia was just to fast and he knew he wouldn't get there so he just leap like an indomitable lion chasing an antelope.

That's just turrible.

Well what do you call Argentinean antelopes then?
What should I have said? do they have Llamas there?