Thu, Jun 29, 2006 page19

• World Cup: Two referees not the answer, says FIFA

  QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS The standard of refereeing at this year's World Cup and the number of poor decisions have not turned off TV viewers, the sport's governing body said

  • AP
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  Soccer's governing body is not ready to use two referees on the pitch at the World Cup.

  Match officials have come under heavy scrutiny amid the record number of red and yellow cards being issued and a spate of questionable decisions at the World Cup.

  Instant TV replays have been ruled out and the introduction of other technology to determine when the ball crosses the goal line has been put on hold, for now, because it is not 100 percent reliable.

  FIFA communications director Markus Siegler said trials using two referees in tandem had been undertaken, but it was "not the right path to follow" right now.

  "We've carried out tests in the Italian league and cup matches," he told a news conference on Tuesday. "At the moment, it's not an actuality."

  The International Football Association Board, which governs the rules of the game, would have to make the decision and any submission would have to be formally made by a national association, Siegler said.

  In the meantime, referees, two linesmen and a fourth official communicate via open microphones and headsets.

  After 55 of 64 matches at Germany 2006, referees had handed out 25 red cards and 306 yellow cards, both World Cup records.

  Russian referee Valentin Ivanov was criticized by FIFA president Sepp Blatter for giving 16 cautions and ejecting four players in Portugal's 1-0 win over Netherlands -- records for a World Cup match.

  The FIFA referees committee met yesterday to determine which of the 22 referees will remain after the second round. The list is unlikely to be released before committee head Angel Maria Villar Llona faces a news conference today.

  "We don't want this event to be a public tribunal," said Siegler, declining to make any comment about the referees or referee decisions. "It's certainly not that you wish it's dominating the discussion."

  The controversy is not harming the TV ratings or keeping the crowds away.

  FIFA's TV rights partner, Infront, estimates an accumulated TV audience exceeding 30 billion across the tournament.

  Infront managing director Dominik Schmid said about 40 percent of the viewing audience was female, something he could only attribute to "a World Cup phenomenon."

  All but one of FIFA's 207 affiliated members had negotiated broadcasting deals with only Turkmenistan, the former Soviet republic of 6 million, not taking official live television pictures.

  He said ratings records were being broken even in countries which did not qualify.

  Schmid highlighted England's first-round match against Paraguay which had 62.9 million viewers in China -- more than the combined populations of both participating countries.

  With crowds at venues at capacity, more than 11 million people have turned to "Fan Zones" in downtown areas of the 12 German cities hosting matches to watch on giant TV screens.

  "We're living the biggest football party ever," Siegler said of the popularity of the Fan Zones. "Our expectations have been surpassed."
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