We’re getting closer and closer to World Cup 2014, and so naturally I’ve got my eye on the men who will be in the middle in Brazil. Undoubtedly the most recognizable man is England’s Howard Webb. Webb is best known for refereeing the final match of the 2010 tournament. He’s back as England’s refereeing representative, along with his assistants, Darren Cann
Read moreIt’s been quite a week here on Play the Advantage. I went about trying to prove that the Champions League referee screwed up, and woke up the next morning to find myself Bjorn Kuipers’ greatest defender. (I got your back, Bjorn.) I’m all for open dialogue and chewing the fat, as we say in America, but I do have a
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Ever since Sergio Ramos’ 93rd-minute shot heard ’round the world in the Champions League final, people have been talking about stoppage time. Whether you believe referee Bjorn Kuipers’ decision to add five minutes to the second half was right or wrong, there’s no doubt that it impacted the match. So, how do referees decide how many minutes of stoppage time
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My post breaking down Bjorn Kuipers’ decision to add five minutes to the end of the Champions League final has caused a bit of a stir. (Hi, all of The Netherlands!) It’s hard to argue the numbers, so the main dissent has been that he was inconsistent between the first and second halves, and somehow that “proves” he was wrong.
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As we gear up for the World Cup, I’m pretty chuffed to welcome the refereeing blogger known as L’Arbitre to Play the Advantage. He’s going to be sharing a series that’s all about the technology referees will use in Brazil. If you’re a referee geek like me, you’re going to love this. To start us off, he’s gone straight for the Big
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In an apparent attempt to humanize the World Cup referees, FIFA has posted cutesy little bios of each of them on the World Cup 2014 website. It’s kind of a form that you fill out with your basic stats: how tall you wish you were are, your language, how many years you’ve been doing this, etc. The bios are accompanied by the
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Bjorn Kuipers is a good referee. And for the most part, his part in the 4-1 Real Madrid extra time win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Final was played well. If you’re a Real Madrid fan, you thought he was great. Unfortunately, for everyone else – Atletico Madrid fans and neutrals – what he did well is overshadowed
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When Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid clash in the Champions League final on Saturday, one of refereeing’s rising stars will be in the middle: Bjorn Kuipers of the Netherlands. And who better to help us get to know a distinguished Dutch referee than…a Dutch referee? Or rather, The Dutch Referee. If you haven’t checked out Jan’s blog, I’d highly recommend
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There are few matches that have as much riding on them as the May 24 clash between Derby and QPR at Wembley. The winner rises to the Premiership, and the loser will be faced with another year in the Purgatory that is Championship. And the referee will be… Lee Mason. Ahem. Look, I’m sure he’s a very nice guy, but
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You have questions. I have answers. 1.) Is <insert referee here> a <insert team here> fan? It is a peculiar aspect of footballing physics that, inevitably, every referee – on any given day – is a fan of the team opposing yours. (Except my poor, stupid Spurs; no referee ever seems to be a Spurs fan.) There is no better illustration
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