Rational Ref: Humble coin toss a match-fixer's dream

Humble coin toss will confound fight against football graft

Seemingly simple flip of a disc will confound those battling graft in football, since there are no rules on how refs must conduct it

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Humble coin toss a match-fixer's dream. Photo: Reuters

How much is a coin toss worth? Can foolishly faking a frivolous flip and flick of a thin metallic disc prove financially tempting? You bet. Five years ago, the going rate was 100,000 yuan (US$16,000).

This was the amount Chinese referee Huang Junjie accepted from fellow referee Zhou Weixin to rig the coin toss between Manchester United and FC Shenzhen in 2007. Huang fixed the flip to ensure Shenzhen kicked off the match in Macau.

Huang and Zhou admitted this in court when they became the first referees to face trial in December 2011, following a two-year crackdown on soccer corruption in China. Soon after, Lu Jun, a former World Cup referee, stood trial. Lu was previously considered China's most respected referee, nicknamed the "golden whistle" for his impartiality.

Lu was found guilty of accepting 350,000 yuan for fixing a match in 2003 and subsequently received a five-and-a-half year jail sentence. In an instant, China's golden match official joined the ranks of corrupt referees on the mainland, who are dubbed "black whistles". These infamous black whistles also received life bans.

In recent weeks, major organisations have declared match-fixing to be widespread. A report by Europol revealed about 700 matches worldwide, including Champions League ties and World Cup qualifiers, were suspected of having been fixed.

And last week, Interpol met with Fifa officials at a conference in Kuala Lumpur jointly hosted by the Asian Football Confederation to set tougher laws in the battle against criminal syndicates suspected of match-fixing.

The AFC announced it had established a task force that would collaborate with all stakeholders and educate member associations on ways to tackle match-fixing in Asia.

Rational Ref is keen to see what kind of role, and support, match officials will be given in this initiative to combat suspect practices. Take, for example, the rigging of the seemingly straightforward coin toss.

The tradition of the coin toss is based on Western culture. Observe most Western referees and they will place the coin on top of their thumb and forefinger to flick the coin up in the air. The coin will twist and twirl in a blur and then be caught in the same hand that flipped it. Without looking at the coin and in one smooth movement, the coin is slapped onto the back of the other hand and then revealed.

This is the standard protocol of the coin toss, providing you are British, Australian, Canadian or American. Last Tuesday night, Australian referee Chris Beath performed the standard coin toss as expected during the AFC Cup match between Kitchee and Churchill Brothers from India.

But watch referees from continental Europe, Asia or South America, and the coin toss action varies considerably. Some cannot flip the coin using their thumbs, some catch the coin with both hands, some catch and reveal using only one hand, some let the coin land on an open palm, and others will let the coin fall to the ground after throwing the coin up without imparting any spin. Some referees are just clumsy and fumble the coin toss.

Furthermore, the rulebook assumes all referees know how to flip a coin. It states: "a coin is tossed and the team that wins the toss decides which goal it will attack and the other team takes the kick-off".

Since there is no accepted coin toss protocol, criminal syndicates have benefited. For instance, what's to prevent referees from catching the coin in an open palm, seeing the result and then deciding whether or not to slap it over on the other hand, depending on the desired outcome? There have been occasions where Chinese referees catch the coin in the open palm, with the wrist slap being optional.

Details are unknown about the infamous coin toss at the Manchester United versus FC Shenzhen match. If the referee did not rig the actual toss, he could have easily used another suspect method.
Hypothetically, the referee, having gone through the motions of the coin toss, could quickly look at the result and declare Manchester United would choose ends, thus leaving FC Shenzhen to kick off, which was the prearranged outcome.

Any visiting player to China, such as 33-year-old Ryan Giggs five seasons ago, could easily dismiss this as a cultural peculiarity and in any case would just want to get the match started without fuss. In hindsight, we know it was an easy 100,000 yuan for a black whistle to make.

Hence, this simple example of a corrupt coin toss is just the tip of the iceberg for AFC's new task force.

Rational Ref reckons referees on the right side of the law can assist the task force in its fight against match-fixing. After all, referees are whistleblowers.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Humble coin toss a match-fixer's dream

PUBLISHED : Friday, 01 March, 2013

Lebanese Referee Jailed in Singapore … Sings

The Lebanese Referee jailed in Singapore has revealed how match-fixers "advise" match officials how to rig games.

"The best way to rig a match [is] to award penalties"

Referees already know this ... and if you look at the example here of Niger Referee Ibrahim Chaibou on 1 June 2011, it is quite obvious that he is fixing the match. So what has FIFA or Interpol done about charging Chaibou?

Singaporean businessman and match fixer Eric Ding Si Yang. Pic from AFP

Related Posts

Suspect Referee Performance: Nigeria v Argentina

China's Golden Whistle Admits Accepting US$44,000 Bribe

Lebanese Referees Guilty of Accepting Sexual Bribes For Match Fixing


Reference

Referee given match-fixing tips on YouTube, court told (SCMP; paywall)

Jailed official tells court he received links from businessman on how to make 'wrong decisions'
Tuesday, 16 July, 2013, 3:59am

Agence France-Presse in Singapore

A Lebanese referee jailed for accepting sex to rig matches testified yesterday that a Singaporean businessman used YouTube to show him how to fix a game.

Ali Sabbagh, speaking on the first day of the trial of Eric Ding Si Yang, said the businessman sent him "20 to 30" YouTube links by e-mail to "teach me how to make wrong decisions".

"The videos had too many decisions where the decision made by the referee is not the right decision," he said.

Ding is accused of providing Sabbagh, 34, and two other Lebanese officials with women who gave them free sexual services before a match in Singapore in April..

Sabbagh and the other two officials were withdrawn from duty and placed under investigation before the match. He was found guilty in June and sentenced to six months in jail, while his assistants - Ali Eid and Abdallah Taleb - were also convicted and have since been released and deported.

Sabbagh said that in a series of e-mail exchanges late last year, Ding told him that the best way to rig a match was to award penalties. Sabbagh quoted Ding as saying that "nobody will stop you, nobody will do anything ... When the corner comes, just blow and say pushing and pulling ... If there is anything in the penalty area, you can blow your whistle".

He said Ding gave him assurances that he would not be asked to rig matches that would affect his career within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Sabbagh, who is scheduled to be released from jail on August 3, told the court he was the one who first proposed that Ding "arrange for girls" when the three match officials were in Singapore for the AFC Cup tie between Singapore's Tampines Rovers and India's East Bengal in April.

Sabbagh said Ding asked them to choose between Colombian or Asian girls and "we all told him we want Asian girls".

He added that Ding had likely offered the free sexual favours with the expectation that they would help rig unspecified AFC Champions League matches to be held in South Korea, Qatar and Iran. "He [Ding] is very interested in these matches, there is too much spectators, there is too much goals," Sabbagh said in stuttering English.

Ding seemed relaxed but appeared to show disapproval at parts of Sabbagh's testimony.

He faces a maximum of five years in jail and fines of up to S$100,000 (US$80,000) for each of three counts of corruption. He separately faces two charges of stealing evidence and obstructing police after declining to disclose the password to his laptop computer. He denies the charges.

Lebanese Referees Guilty of Accepting Sexual Bribes For Match Fixing

In April, news surfaced of the arrests of match officials from Lebanon who received sexual bribes in return for fixing matches. They were caught in Singapore prior to an AFC Cup match between Tampines Rovers (Singapore) and East Bengal (India).

Three months later, the match officials have been sentenced in Singapore. The two ARs, Ali Eid, 33, and Abdallah Taleb, 37, were sentenced to three months in jail. The judge deferred sentencing Referee Ali Sabbagh, 34, who is considered the "most culpable".

More must be done to track and hunt down the real perpetrators, such as Eric Ding Si Yang, 31, the Singaporean businessman who allegedly supplied the prostitutes, and his associates.


Related Posts

China's Golden Whistle Gets Jail Sentence

China's Golden Whistle Admits Accepting US$44,000 Bribe

Suspect Referee Performance: Nigeria v Argentina

Life Ban For Player Found Guilty of Match-Fixing in Hong Kong

Reference

Lebanese referees admit agreeing to fix soccer match for sex in Singapore (SCMP; paywall)

Tuesday, 11 June, 2013

Agence France-Presse in Singapore


Three Lebanese referees pleaded guilty yesterday to accepting free sex from a gambling-linked global syndicate in return for agreeing to rig a match.

A Singaporean district court judge jailed assistant referees Ali Eid, 33, and Abdallah Taleb, 37, for three months.

He deferred sentencing until today for referee Ali Sabbagh, whom prosecutors said was the most culpable.

The assistant referees broke down into sobs and repeatedly looked up as if to thank God when Judge Low Wee Ping said they could be freed by today, after remission for good behaviour and due to time already served while awaiting sentencing.

Turning to Sabbagh, 34, the judge said: "I need time to consider your sentence. I don't, for the moment, accept that you should be sentenced to six months."

Deputy public prosecutor Asoka Markandu described Sabbagh as the most culpable as he was the one who was approached by the syndicate and persuaded the two linesmen to accept the sexual bribe.

The three men were arrested and charged on April 4 with corruption for accepting sexual favours in exchange for agreeing to fix an unspecified match.

They had been abruptly pulled out of an Asian Football Confederation Cup match that they were scheduled to officiate on April 3 between the Singapore-based Tampines Rovers and India's East Bengal.

The three match officials were denied bail and have been detained at Singapore's Changi prison since April 4.

Eric Ding Si Yang, 31, a Singaporean businessman who allegedly supplied the prostitutes, has also been charged with corruption and granted bail.

Defence lawyer Gary Low cited his clients' previously unblemished records, their guilty pleas and the fact that their acceptance of the sexual bribe did not ultimately result in any football match being rigged.

"The gratification was arranged by Mr Ding Si Yang with a view to fixing a football match in the future," Low said. "Our clients did not reach an agreement with Ding to fix a particular football match.

"In these circumstances, our clients' conduct did not in any way affect or influence the outcome of any football match," the lawyer added.

Capital Reward for Australia's Top Referee

Congratulations to top referee Ben Williams and his ARs Luke Brennan and Paul Cetrangolo for their prime appointment to the 2012 AFC Champions League final between Ulsan Hyundai (South Korea) and Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia) on Saturday 10 November 2012 at the Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, Korea.

Referee Ben Williams. Pic from here.


Related Post


Optimum Officiating: Tackling Time Wasting

An Explosion On The Soccer Pitch

The following incident occurred during an AFC Asian Champions League quarterfinal first-leg match between Foolad Sepahan (Iran) and Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia) on 20 September 2012. The match finished 0—0.

In the 64', away team Al Ahli won a corner kick and home supporters threw objects on to the pitch near the corner flag. After the corner was taken and the ball was out of play, AR2 Chow Chun-kit (Hong Kong) signalled that there was debris in his area. Referee Liu Kwok-man (Hong Kong) went to investigate. Videos of the incident show what happened:

Grenade Explodes on Football Pitch (The Guardian)

Luckiest Man of the Week (YouTube)




Firecracker Explosion in Iran (YouTube)





Referee Liu was responsive and responsible. As the match Referee he is empowered to stop, suspend or abandon the match as he sees fit. Eventually, the match was suspended for about five minutes and then play resumed. The AFC is now investigating the incident.

Iran’s Cool, Calm, Confident Referee

The following incident occurred during the second group stage match between Syria and Japan on 13 January 2011 at the Asian Cup in Qatar. The match finished 1—2.

In the 71st minute, a combination of defensive errors by Japan resulted in a situation where Iran referee Mohsen Torky made a tough decision. During the whole incident, the referee was composed, cool, calm and confident (at least on the outside). Please see the SUMMARY, after the freeze frames, to ponder and deliberate whether the referee made the correct decision.

Japan goalkeeper (yellow) is about to (mis)kick the ball with his left foot towards the Syria player standing in the middle of the field.

Did the Syria player (red with white boots) or Japan player (blue with black boots) kick the ball back toward the penalty area?

As the ball returns to the penalty area, the Japan goalkeeper (yellow) fouls the Syria player who is behind him and in an offside position.

Referee Torky ushers Japan coach off the pitch, while behind him players are surrounding the AR.

It took 5 minutes from the moment the Japan goalkeeper fouled a Syria player to the completion of the penalty kick.

Referee Torky decided that it was a Japan player who last touched the ball into the penalty area. Subsequently, the Syria player who was standing in an offside position behind the Japan goalkeeper, could legitimately play the ball. The Japan goalkeeper fouled the Syria player, and the referee awarded a penalty kick and then sent off the goalkeeper for DOGSO.

THE ISSUES TO CONSIDER

First and Foremost, the only real consideration to ACCEPT is that the referee at the time of the incident made a decision based on the best of his ability and experience. To his credit, he made the decision quickly and confidently. Furthermore, the referee kept cool, calm and composed throughout, despite how many times the players continuously argued with him and the fact that it took 5 minutes from the time of awarding of the penalty kick and send-off to the completion of the penalty kick. This is something POSITIVE to take from this incident. Torky was Composed and Confident, and remained Cool and Calm in the face of adversity.

The following issues are technical points, and should be taken in the context of being considerations only for post-match analysis. We have the benefit of repeat views, slow-motion replays, reverse backward, pause, magnification and several camera angles. Therefore:

1) Repeat views. Even after repeat views of the incident it is still not 100% clear which player—Syria or Japan—made the crucial touch that pushed the ball in to the penalty area. Without any definitive camera angles and close-ups, it could have been either player or both who touched the ball.

2) Pace of the ball and players’ body position. As the ball rebounds from the player(s) towards the penalty area, look at the pace of the ball. The pace of the ball indicates that there was good, solid contact (since the ball does not bobble up but instead rolls back along the ground at similar speed). Now look at the players. The Japan player, by desperately lunging, is overstretched and the weight of his left foot movement is mostly downward toward the ground rather than at the approaching ball. From simple mechanics, the ball would be hitting his foot (rather than his foot hitting the ball) and then would rebound (but this would not likely be a solid rebound and a “bobble” is likely). Contrast this with the Syria player who does not overstretch and appears to casually just jab (or toe-poke) the ball. From simple physics, the ball’s rebound movement implies that it made contact solidly and cleanly (i.e. the ball was kicked or toe-poked), mostly likely by the Syria player.

3) Players’ attitude and reactions. Now let’s look at the reaction of the two players. The Syria player had a casual attitude when competing for the ball. He did not appear too concerned about stretching himself, possibly because he knew he would get to the ball first (without overstretching himself). And, assuming he got to the ball first, because he could not control the ball (which rebounded from him right back to the penalty area), and since he knew that his team-mate was obviously in an offside position, he therefore wasn’t too concerned about heading enthusiastically towards goal. Furthermore, let’s assume it was the Japan player who actually played the ball back towards his own goal, then the Syria player’s reaction would have been to exploit the situation by either yelling at this team-mate and his team to play on, and/or he would do his utmost to move towards the goal and ball. The Syria player’s non-reaction perhaps tells us the real answer! But then again, the Syria player could have just been really tired (but these are meant to be professional players, so this explanation is probably difficult to accept).

In contrast, the Japan player was committed to tackling and winning the ball. He just kept on running into the penalty area after the ball, most likely because his commitment to trying to win the ball and his momentum carried him on into the penalty area. So either he didn’t touch the ball and didn’t think about the fact that an opponent was in an offside position and so continued running towards the ball, or he did touch the ball and thought he had better continue in his pursuit of the ball. Whatever scenario for the Japan player, it is difficult to fathom the real reason why he continued running into the penalty area after the ball. This is why it is better to look at the reaction of the Syria player.

Even another attacking Syria player (#6) closest to the AR stopped, and therefore possibly knew that his team-mate was in an offside position. Syria player #6 had the same thought (and similar viewing angle) as the AR. That is, both the AR and Syria #6 thought the ball was kicked forward by Syria and therefore the most forward Syria player was offside.

SUMMARY

The referee made his decision quickly, confidently and remained cool and calm to sell his decision. Whether it was the right decision, technically, is difficult to call. This is because, even after repeated views of the incident it is still not obviously clear which player—Syria or Japan—made the crucial touch that pushed the ball in to the penalty area.

Only with careful deliberation, countless replays, assessing factors for and against, and all the rest of the things we do in evaluating, can it be said that the referee probably got his decision more incorrect than correct. And if the referee was not 100% sure that the ball did come off the Japan player, then it would be a very brave referee indeed to make that call. As we saw, the referee made a bold decision and sold the decision well. He remained cool, calm, and confident and was very well composed. All credit to the referee. No one can really step in his shoes at that moment, so his brave decision must be applauded (and must be accepted by players, coaches, fans and everyone else).

Here are some videoclips of the incident:

This one in particular has a well-balanced and intelligent analysis, as well as some interesting comments and views.

SYRIA vs JAPAN 1-2 Full Highlights 13-01-2011 Japan 2-1 Syria

Kawashima Red Card Sent Off Controversy, Japan vs Syria (2-1) 2011 AFC Asian Cup Group B

Japan 2-1 Syria 2011 AFC Asian Cup Group B All Goals Full Highlights

NOTE: Another technical point is that the referee sent off the Japan goalkeeper for DOGSO. However the Syria player, who was behind the goalkeeper, was not heading towards goal. Technically, this is one of the conditions that referees are taught to use when considering whether there has been a denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity. Common sense tells us that had the Syria player not been fouled, he would have had time to turn and create an obvious goal scoring opportunity before being challenged by other players. However it can be argued that, technically, the player was not heading towards goal.

South China Get Their Man Butt

Following a successful guest appearance for South China last week, Nicky Butt will return to action in Hong Kong in late January 2011.

Nicky Butt with South China (Pic courtesy BBC sport)

Butt is expected to play until May, with the main goals to help the reigning Hong Kong league holders retain the First Division title and to progress significantly better than ever in the AFC Cup. Along the way, Butt is expected to help nurture and guide his new team-mates.

South China chairman Steven Lo Kit-sing said the club would pay Butt similarly to an English Premier League player, which means the 35-year-old former England player could be earning between £25,000 and £30,000 per week.

Following his Hong Kong and Asian adventure, Butt has plans to start his coaching career in Europe in May.

Reference

Record Signing (The Standard)

Caroliners get their man as Butt signs (SCMP; subscription required)

Nishimura Gets 2010 AFC Champions League Final

Congratulations to Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura, who has been appointed to officiate the AFC Champions League Final at the Tokyo National Stadium on Saturday 13 November 2010.

Japan's Toru Sagara and Toshiyuki Nagi will be the assistant referees, and Hiroyoshi Takayama will be the fourth official.

The final will be between Korea Republic’s Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Iran’s Zob Ahan.

[All together now … “no more” … otherwise you’ll probably get … another talking to]

It will be interesting to see whether Nishimura’s preferred policy of managing players with gentle talk rather than cards will be effective in this forthcoming high-stakes competitive match.

Not Optimum Officiating in the AFC Cup Part 2

The following incident occurred during a second-leg quarterfinal AFC Cup match between Muangthong United of Thailand and Al Karamah from Syria on Tuesday 21 September 2010. The match finished 2—0.

Football can be a controversial game, particularly if important decisions by match officials have an impact on the outcome. Last week, following the first-leg encounter between these two Asian football teams, HKRef mentioned the possibility that Al Karamah’s disallowed goal which was incorrectly ruled offside would prove significant. Well, it has.


Here are the highlights of the second-leg quarterfinal match:

AFC Cup Quarterfinals: Muang Thong United FC 2-0 Al Karamah 21/09/2010





The first goal for Muangthong United was a nicely-worked goal. There is no controversy here, and from the referee’s perspective it is always nice to be a nearby witness to a well-crafted football move that results in a goal.

However, the second goal is controversial for two main points.
First, it appears that the Muangthong United attacker (red) is guilty of simulation. Watch closely, as he intentionally drags his right foot as if “trawling” for a foul. However, this is the match referee's decision to give the penalty; the referee calls it as he sees it.
Second, the penalty kick should have been disallowed (and retaken) because it did not meet the requirements of Law 14.

Can you spot the breach in Law 14 from the following three pictures?

[The decisive spot kick; but should it have been allowed?]

The placement of the ball is clearly NOT on the penalty mark. Again, this is not optimum officiating.

The Match Officials were:

Match Commissioner
Lai Boon Teck (Sin)

Referee Assessor
Edward Lennie (Aus)

Referee
Choi Myung Yong (Kor)

Assistant Referee 1
Eun Jong Bok (Kor)

Assistant Referee 2
Choi Minbyoung (Kor)

Fourth Official
Kim Sang Woo (Kor)

Match reports can be found here and here.

Not Optimum Officiating in the AFC Cup

The following incident occurred during a first-leg quarterfinal AFC Cup match between Al Karamah of Syria and Muangthong United from Thailand on Tuesday 14 September 2010. The match finished 1—0.

Watch the incident beginning from 0:30

Al Karamah 1-0 MTU_News




This incident occurred in the 14th minute when Al Karamah’s midfielder Mahmoud Al Mawas shot from distance and the ball cannoned off the crossbar. The rebound fell to Mohamad Al Hamwi who headed the loose ball into the net. The following four freeze frames show this.

[The ball is struck from a distance of over 30 yards. The ball's flight can be seen all the way to the crossbar.]

From the time the ball is struck from over 30 yards to the time it hits the crossbar, it is clear that Al Karamah players (blue) are all onside. However, the goal was incorrectly ruled out for offside. This means the AR was probably not fully focused or was poorly positioned.

Whether this disallowed goal proves significant or not may depend on the result of the second-leg quarterfinal AFC Cup match. Nevertheless, this is not optimum officiating.

The Match Officials were:

Match Commissioner
Abdulrazaq Mohamed Abbas Kamal (Bahrain)

Referee Assessor
Ali Tareq Ahmed Ali (Iraq)

Referee
Tan Hai (China)

Assistant Referees
Huo Weiming (China)
Su Jige (China)

Fourth Official
Muokhtar Saleh Ali Al-Yarimi (Yemen)

Match reports can be found here and here.

CFA Chief says China Referees to Blame for Bad Reputation

Comments from Wei Di, chief of the Chinese Football Association, raised eyebrows prior to the friendly international match between China and Iran on Friday 2 September 2010 at the Tianhe Stadium in China.

First, the denial of Iran’s request for a “non-Chinese” match official appears strange. This is because international matches, even friendlies, are usually officiated by referees who do not come from the same countries as the two teams.

Second, Wei’s insistence that the referee be Chinese (i.e. from the host country) also appears strange. Perhaps Wei is “giving face” to Chinese referees but this action puts the appointed Chinese referee in an unfortunate and awkward position (also, see point 3). No matter what, the Chinese referee will be criticized for either favouring the home team, or favouring the visiting team. It will be rare for everyone to acknowledge that the referee is officiating according to the Laws of the Game, without fear or favour to any team.

Third, Wei has specifically asked Chinese referees to: “deliberately make calls against Chinese players in matches against other countries. In international games, the Chinese referees should be more strict to China, which could improve the team's mentality in a negative situations”. This does not encourage any impartiality, neutrality or objectivity and therefore puts the Chinese referee in an awkward situation.

The elimination of corruption, untoward practices, suspect ethics—call it what you will—in China and in Chinese soccer will hardly succeed if the head of the CFA makes highly dubious comments like those reported by the Xinhua news agency and by Reuters.


Chinese officials deserve Iran snub: soccer chief

Sep 03, 2010

Iran's demand for a neutral referee for their friendly against China this week is disrespectful but officials have only themselves to blame, according to soccer chief Wei Di.

Three top referees were arrested for their involvement in a match-fixing scandal earlier this year and Wei said he thought that was behind Iran's request for a non-Chinese to officiate in Zhengzhou tonight.

"It is not too odd in principle, but objectively it shows their lack of respect for Chinese referees," Wei told a training camp for referees in Hebei. His speech was reported by Xinhua.

Wei was brought in to clean up national soccer after his predecessor Nan Yong and several other top Chinese Football Association (CFA) officials were arrested in connection with allegations of corruption.

One of the referees arrested in March was 2002 World Cup official Lu Jun, who had been known as the "golden whistle" in contrast to the corrupt "black whistles" who had been suspected of fixing matches over the past decade.

Wei conceded that many referees had fixed matches at the behest of CFA officials and so earned the nickname "official whistles" but said that must now stop if they were to gain credibility with fans and players.

"The CFA must start within itself to eliminate the `official whistle'," he said. "And the referees must resist the pressure of `official whistle'. A referee must immediately report to the CFA as soon as any CFA official makes such a request."

Wei, who has declined Iran's request, then called on referees to deliberately make calls against Chinese players in internationals.

"In international games, the Chinese referees should be more strict to China, which could improve the team's mentality in negative situations," he said.

Post Script: The match result between China and Iran was 0-2.

For the good of the game, it would have been better for all parties had the match officials come from different countries to the two teams (i.e. Iran was happy to have a South Korean referee, but China rejected that request).


Iran beats China 2-0 in friendly
Fri Sep 3, 2010 4:49PM

Iran's Andranik Teymourian scored the first goal (from PressTV)

Iran's national soccer team has defeated China 2-0 in an international friendly match at the Tianhe Stadium in China.

Iran had the upper hand in almost every minute of the game and performed well as the players were in harmony and well-coordinated, Fars News Agency reported on Friday.

Andranik Teymourian and Mohammad Gholami scored the goals for Iran while the referee disallowed a goal by China as offside.

The appointed referee from the host country served Iranian players Hadi Aghili, Mohammad-Reza Khalatbari, Karim Ansari Fard and Masoud Shojaee with yellow cards.

Iran had demanded that the match be judged by a South Korean referee , but China rejected the plea out of what it cited as respect for Chinese referees.

Iran's national soccer team will play against South Korea in another friendly game [on Tuesday 7 September].

2010 World Cup Underway: AFC Match Officials Start

On the first day of the World Cup, the first and second matches were officiated by referee trios from the AFC.

The first match between hosts South Africa and Mexico was officiated by Ravshan IRMATOV (Uzbekistan) and assistant referees Rafael ILYASOV (UZB) and Bahadyr KOCHKAROV (KGZ).

[Uzbek referee Ravshan Irmatov. Pic courtesy AFP]

The second match between France an Uruguay was officiated by Yuichi NISHIMURA (Japan) and assistant referees Toru SAGARA (JPN) and Hae Sang JEONG (KOR).

[Referee Yuichi Nishimura checks which card he has shown ... and then follows it up with a red card (below)]

[The first red card of the 2010 World Cup went to Uruguay's Lodeiro for a second caution]

Stamping Incidents at AFC Champions League Match in Adelaide

Match officials must be particularly vigilant towards the final minutes of a match, especially with a tight score line and increased tensions amongst players.

The following incidents occurred during the Adelaide United and Shandong Luneng Asian Champions League group match on Tuesday 27 April 2010. Adelaide are a goal down and are desperately seeking the equalizer. The match ended 0—1, but not without two stamping incidents.

The first incident is serious gamesmanship by the Shandong goalkeeper in the 89th minute. Adelaide #9 Van Dijk’s challenge was genuinely for the ball and he purposely kept his feet and studs down (otherwise he would have made contact with the goalkeeper and caused injury, especially with a studs up challenge), but the goalkeeper deliberately stamped on his opponent. Here are the freeze frames.

[Shandong Luneng goalkeeper deliberately stamps on Adelaide United forward's torso]

The second incident is also gamesmanship, this time by Adelaide (red) #18. It occurs in the 90th minute, straight after the first incident. Adelaide #18 (red player in the middle of the screen) deliberately uses his right foot to stamp on the goalkeeper’s left foot and then pushes his own teammate Van Dijk into the goalkeeper whilst keeping his right foot on the goalkeeper’s left foot. Here are the freeze frames.

[Adelaide United player #18 deliberately stamps on Shandong Luneng goalkeeper's left foot]

[Adelaide United’s Van Dijk is literally “caught in the middle” and the referee cautions him, while the real culprits of violent conduct escape]

Ultimately, Adelaide United’s Van Dijk is hard done by. He receives a caution, first, for being wrongly blamed for a confrontation with the Shandong goalkeeper (after the goalkeeper deliberately stamped on him) and, second, for being wrongly accused of pushing the Shandong goalkeeper to the ground (when it was his teammate who deliberately stamped on the Shandong goalkeeper). Will video evidence be used against the real culprits of violent conduct (i.e. the two stamping incidents)?


Related Posts (Stamp Out Stamping)

FA Hands Adebayor Three-match Ban For Stamp on van Persie

Emmanuel Adebayor Stamped And Kicked Robin Van Persie's Head

Belgian Player Gets 11-Match Ban For Shocking Horror Tackle

Strange Handling Incident at AFC Champions League Match in Adelaide

The following incident occurred during the Adelaide United and Shandong Luneng Asian Champions League group match on Tuesday 27 April 2010.

In the 58th minute, a strange incident occurred. As the goalkeeper collected the ball with his hands in his area, he proceeded to kick the ball upfield but the referee whistled for an infringement. Here are the freeze frames.

[Shandong Luneng goalkeeper clearly releases the ball from his hands inside the penalty area]

[A direct free kick is awarded to Adelaide United at the edge of the penalty area]

Apparently, the referee believed the goalkeeper had continued handling the ball outside the penalty area during the kicking motion. Restart was a direct free kick to the opposing team.


Other Bizarre Incidents:

Sunderland Goal Should Have Been Disallowed Due to “Outside Interference”

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AFC Cup 2010 South China v Persiwa Wamena

The following incidents of unsporting behaviour occurred during the AFC Cup group stage match between South China (Hong Kong) v Persiwa Wamena (Indonesia) on Tuesday 23 March 2010 at Siu Sai Wan stadium in Hong Kong. The attendance was 2,393 and the final score was 6—3.


23 Mar 2010 AFC Cup Simulation




Simulation is unsporting behaviour
In the 50th minute, South China player (red #9, Lee Wai Lim) controls the ball ahead of the Persiwa Wamena player (green) to put himself in an attacking position. A big hint for referees is that red #9 goes down too easily. The player could have stayed on his feet to either shoot at goal from a tight angle or place the ball across the face of goal for his teammate to tap in. But instead, he chose to fall over.

There is little need for unsporting behaviour, particularly at this stage of the match when South China is already 5—1 ahead.

When the Referee showed the yellow card, red #9 actually smiles sheepishly and hangs his head in shame because he knew he was caught cheating. Restart was an IFK to the defending team.


23 Mar 2010 AFC Cup GK shocking tackle Penalty




Goalkeeper’s shocking tackle
In the 70th minute, the South China goalkeeper (blue #17, Ho Kwok Chuen) makes a shockingly dangerous two-footed tackle on Persiwa Wamena player (green #50). He launches himself using his right foot, goes over the ball with his left foot, and then his whole weight appears to land on his right foot. This is probably the reason why he could not get up when he put his weight on his right foot. He clearly injured himself, and after receiving lengthy treatment was carried off the pitch on a stretcher.
Note: Players are not allowed to receive treatment on the field of play. But exceptions apply when:
• a goalkeeper is injured
• a goalkeeper and an outfield player have collided and need immediate attention
• a severe injury has occurred (e.g. swallowed tongue, concussion, broken leg)

In similar situations goalkeepers would normally dive for the ball using their hands. Instead, this goalkeeper made a shocking tackle leading with his feet. Therefore a hint for referees is the aggressive nature of the South China goalkeeper’s challenge.

The Referee correctly awarded a penalty. In the match report, it was recorded that the Referee cautioned the GK. However, during the match the Referee did not show the yellow card to the GK on the field of play probably because the injured keeper could not stand up and was carried off on a stretcher. The challenge by the GK was at least a yellow card offence and perhaps could have been a red card. Restart was a penalty kick to the attacking team.


23 Mar 2010 AFC Cup Playacting Theatrics




Playacting is unsporting behaviour
In the 80th minute, Persiwa Wamena player (green #10, Edison Pieter Rumaropen) makes a meal out of an incident where there is little chance that he would be awarded a free kick or penalty. A big hint for referees is that the player moves to-and-fro (at least a dozen times), when surely if it was a serious injury the player would remain still (see also Player Theatrics by HKRef).

About 30 seconds after restart, green #10 is seen running up the touch line and re-enters the field of play near the halfway line. Perhaps the Referee should have cautioned the player for unsporting behaviour.

Match Report
South China 6-3 Persiwa Wamena (AFC news)

Tuesday, 23 March 2010 22:27

Hong Kong: Brazilian strike duo Tales Schutz and Leo each grabbed a brace as South China revived their AFC Cup Group G campaign with a thrilling 6-3 comeback win over Indonesia’s Persiwa Wamena at Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground on Tuesday.

After picking up just one point from their opening two games last year’s semi-finalists were behind after just six minutes as Pieter Rumaropen struck for Persiwa.

But a quick-fire brace from the returning Schutz turned the contest in South China’s favour before Leo (Leonardo Ferreira da Silva) and Kwok Kin Pong added to the lead before half-time.

Leo extended the advantage just after half-time and after Albertho Mambrasar and Lewis Weeks netted for Persiwa, Lee Wai Lim sealed the win in stoppage time.

After South China captain Chan Wai Ho wasted a glorious chance after just three minutes the visitors opened the scoring as a punch from South China goalkeeper Ho Kwok Chuen fell to Rumaropen on the edge of the area and the midfielder lifted the ball over the stranded custodian.

But South China were back on level terms after eight minutes when Schutz beat Persiwa goalkeeper Timotius Mote with a deft flick at the front post.

Mote only just turned Li Haiqiang’s long-range swerving free-kick onto the post after 11 minutes as the frantic start continued with end-to-end action.

And after 21 minutes South China completed the comeback as Schutz muscled his way through a crowd inside the area to send a stooping header past Mote from Li’s superb whipped in free-kick.

With several Persiwa attacks being halted by the off-side flag, Leo capitalised on the visitors’ inability to clear their penalty area 11 minutes later to fire a low shot across Mote and into the bottom corner to double the lead.

And just three minutes later Kwok raced into the area unmarked to head home Lee Wai Lun’s left wing cross to complete the emphatic comeback.

With just over a minute on the clock after the break Leo charged down an attempted clearance to race clear and skip round substitute goalkeeper Andre before rolling in his second into the empty net.

Leo was denied a hat-trick by Andre four minutes later before Mambrasar volleyed home from inside the area to give Persiwa faint hope six minutes before the hour mark.

And the visitors pulled another goal back with 15 minutes remaining as Weeks beat substitute goalkeeper Zhang Chunhui from the penalty spot after Ho was injured in bringing down Rumaropen.

But the visitors were unable to build on their quick-fire double and suffered a second defeat of the competition as Lee’s late header capped an enthralling contest.