It would be a Basic preview of TFC going into their fourth season, the digital mag I publish is not about being a sports Journalist its about being a fan, so just write your oipinion.

Let me know if you would like to do this.

Louisi Ana

Going forward, when a player commits handball are we now supposed to label him a cheater? Handballs happen all the time in almost every single game. In many cases, handballs are intentional. Many times intentional handballs are instinctual reactions. Are we to throw the book at these players and consider them rule breakers and cheaters? Usually a foul is called and the opposing team gets a free kick. Sometimes, players get carded for intentional handballs. That’s it. No one debates whether these players are cheaters or whether they are ruining the integrity of the game.

What about a regular foul? Or what about cardable offences? Or what about offences that lead to penalties? Do we consider the penalized players rule breakers or cheaters? Do we consider them unsportsmanlike? Not generally, even thought they “broke” the rules.

What about the scenario when a defender sometimes deliberately stops a ball from entering the net with his hand? A penalty is called and we go from there. Now, this player is deliberately using his hand knowing that he is not allowed to do that. Is this player a cheater? Does this player get lambasted in the world press? What would everyone think if France had a shot on net and Irish defender Dunne intentionally dove in the way and used his hand to stop what would be an obvious goal? And what if Given saved the ensuing penalty? Would we be celebrating Dunne’s decision or would we be critical of him and calling him a cheater because of his deliberate handball?

Back to Henry, yes, he did hand the ball. It should have been called. It was not. That’s what the referee is for. And in many cases, referees being human, they make mistakes. Granted, this is a huge mistake which potentially cost Ireland a spot in the World Cup. We don’t know for sure what would have happened had the goal been disallowed. Ireland could still have lost. We will never know. I do not think anything should happen to Henry. At worst, give him a yellow card for intentional handball.

Anyone who watches a lot of soccer will obviously know that bad calls happen all the time. In my view, this is more an issue about the referee, the location of the linesman and the obvious fact that referees sometimes make glaring errors. Some games have clear offside goals allowed. Some games have too much extra time and then a team scores a tying goal or gets the winner. Bad things happen all the time in soccer because the game uses human referees. Maybe it’s time to consider video replays for goals and infractions in the penalty area. This is a separate debate left for another time because there is a lot that would need to be considered for incorporating video replay.

The more likely solution is to consider the two additional referee system being tested out in the Europa League. I am confident that the second referee would have caught the handball and we would not be having this debate.

I don’t think the answer is any sort of video replay, given there are no stoppages of time in soccer. A second referee on the field is the answer. If it works in hockey on a small rink, surerly there’s room for one more man on a soccer pitch. An extra set of eyes close to the action would decrease the likelihood of these sorts of controversies.