Throughout the entire soccer community, the question is being asked, should instant replay be used in soccer games? In the sporting world, instant replay has become the deciding factor and savior to all sports except one, soccer, which has yet to incorporate instant replay in games. I have always thought that instant replay should be used in the soccer world. It is needed to help determine controversial calls and prevent blown games from happening. There have been so many games that have been determined on the wrong call that instant replay could have fixed. Instant replay is in use in most of the major sporting franchises such as the NHL, NFL, NBA and PGA. Instant replay has been considered to be the savior of sports. The technology is here and it works at maximum efficiency. Games are ruined by blown off-sides calls, incorrect penalty decisions and other mistakes. This new technology will be used to mainly review penalties, goals, and free kicks. It could possible be used for more but as of right now the goal is to test it b for those exact reasons. 

While some support this change, there are the traditional fans of the sport. It has been questioned, by these people, as to why soccer needs replay. It is one of the oldest sports in the world and has become the most famous sport in the world, without instant replay. While this is true, it can be argued. In today's world the technology is available to enhance and better the game. The technology is already being considered and is being prepared for testing. This technology can revise all the errors of the game. However, there is still the big concern, will it disturb the flow of the game. Some fear that the non-stop sport will have to incorporate stoppage in play so that they can review calls. It is being tested to prevent that very thing however which is why instant replay should be used in the sport. 

Now picture this: You are playing for your favorite team in the world or representing the country you love in a game that was so important everyone was watching. Then, picture you losing that game, but not in a normal way. What if you lost because the opposing team scored a last minute goal and that goal was scored because they broke a rule? Now you would think the ref, the man who is supposed to keep order and delegate the rules of the game, misses it. He doesn't see them break the rules but everyone in the world and you see that he did. Now usually we could catch it on instant replay and the error can be corrected. Unless you play soccer. The referee's word is final. It doesn't matter if he's wrong, it doesn't matter that there is video evidence. "I object" the world screams all at once. It doesn't matter. He is the judge and the jury. Its one of the most unfair system in sports. This is the growing problem in soccer today. Its been around since the game was established. The one problem that haunts every game. Waiting for the right moment to screw over a player, a team, a mass of adoring fans. Blown calls will forever torment the game if instant replay is not implemented in the game.

Countless mistakes are made by referees. There is at least one blown call in a game now a days. The game has evolved since the beginning. The speed of play has increased tremendously. Players are getting faster and faster to keep up with the play. Split second tackles, passes and shots are sometimes impossible to catch with just a mere glimpse. So how could one man see it all? For instance, "In the MLS game between Toronto FC and New York City there was a blown call. New York's David Villa settled the ball with his hand and scored a goal against Toronto. The game ended in a 2-2 draw if the hand ball would have been called Toronto would have gotten the win that they rightfully deserved. Armstrong explained in her article, "New York City FC striker David Villa controlled an incoming ball with his right arm on his way to slotting home his second of the game. The Reds would fight back to earn a 2-2 draw but that non-call on the blatant handball by referee Alan Kelly would ultimately cost Toronto two points. In a league where those additional points come playoff time could have moved Toronto from a sixth-place finish and an away game to third place and hosting, that's a high price to pay." (Armstrong 1). This split second settle was very costly to the Toronto side. I mean what do you expect? David Villa is undoubtedly surrounded by other players and probably had his back turned to the ref. You're asking the ref to do the impossible by asking him to catch this hand ball. With instant replay it can easily be fixed. Ok so maybe you're thinking, that blown call isn't that big of a deal. I mean they didn't lose. but how about this example. "It looked like the United States would finally find their breakthrough in the 50th minute. On a corner kick, US defender Gregg Berhalter slid in to redirect the ball on goal. His shot was initially saved by German keeper Oliver Kahn, but he could not get all of it and the ball spun backward towards the goal where it was stopped by the outstretched hand of German defender Torsten Frings." (RedBrothersUnited 1). Now instantly this should awaken your inner American and enrage you. We've been cheated. They cheated us. 

So I've shown you guys some minor examples of blown calls by refs. Now here's some more costly calls.  "During the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, replays clearly showed that Lampard's shot in the round of 16 match against Germany clearly crossed the goal line, but was not given by either the linesman or the referee" (RedBrothersUnited 1). In this world cup match Lampard's shot hit of the crossbar and down into the goal, but the rotation on the ball caused it to bounce out. Everyone roared in triumph because of the goal but realized it had never been counted. The linesman in charge of seeing if the ball went over the line didn't see it. Everyone else did though, but since he didn't it doesn't matter. Let me tell you this isn't the first time it has happened either. In a Manchester United game versus Tottenham, "The ball was knocked back into the United half, where Tottenham's Pedro Mendes was waiting to attempt an audacious lob over the goalkeeper [ ... ] Having fumbled the ball, it clearly went several feet over the line, before Carroll hooked it back into play and tried to pretend that nothing happened. Clattenburg somehow bought these unconvincing, straight-faced theatrics and ruled out the goal and with it, the win that Spurs deserved." (Fitch 7). Again, the ref didn't see it. Believe me too, these aren't the only times that this has happened. Now that's pretty ridiculous but what next is even more astounding. "The youngest Premier League referee at the time, Attwell awarded a goal to Reading when the ball had clearly gone nowhere near the net. This off target strike which was after less than 15 minutes will go down in history for all the wrong reasons. As the ball was hooked back from the byline and bobbled out, he awarded the goal." (Lazarus 1). Ok, so I now what your thinking and yes, you did read that right. In this particular game one of the Reading players shot the ball off target and it went out of bounds but it hit of the back stop wall and came back into play. Now because of this fast bounce back the young ref thought oh it hit off the bottom bar in the back of the goal. No sir, it did no such thing. I mean at least a ref actually saw that a ball did cross a line, right? However, it crossed the out of bounds line, not the goal line. This famous blunder in soccer history is known as the infamous, "ghost goal." It is up there in the top 10 worst calls by refs in all of soccer history. 

Now all of these blown calls are great pieces of evidence to use to promote the action to use instant replay but I still have one left. This blown call is the one that started it all. The 1986 world cup game between Argentina and England was one for the ages. "Six minutes into the second-half, Maradona passed the ball to Jorge Valdano and continued his run from the left into the England penalty area. The pass was intercepted by Steve Hodge but in trying to clear the ball he skewed it into the penalty area where Maradona had continued his run and England goalkeeper Peter Shilton had come out to meet it. Shilton was favorite to punch the ball clear, however, Maradona reached it first and with the outside of his left fist, knocked it beyond Shilton and into the net. Inexperienced Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser and his linesman did not see the infringement and the goal stood." (Coggin 1). Argentina won the game sending England out of the world cup all because of one of the worst blown calls known to the game. Maradona punched the ball in the goal. It looked as if he thought he was a goalkeeper punching the ball like that. What really baffles everyone who has seen this goal is how obvious it is. Its not a hidden mistake and it wasn't hard to catch. Maradona wasn't surrounded by any other players. It was only him and the keeper and they had no one else around them to block the refs view. It's jaw dropping how obvious this blown call is and that is why it is always talked about when instant replay in soccer is brought up. 

While there are plenty supporters of instant replay there are those that oppose it. "Traditionalists believe that referring to video technology would disrupt the flow of a match and spoil it as a spectacle. No one wants to see a game based on fluidity constantly interrupted, they say." (Coggin 1). Soccer has been the world's favorite sport for a very long time and has fans that scour the globe. The beauty of this game is that it has barely changed over time. Only minor rules have changed and there haven't been a lot of them. Soccer is a non-stop sport full of passion without all of the crap filled commercials to interrupt it. Many people can complain that, ""If our game is becoming scientific, then we will take away its emotion and nobody would have any discussion any longer if it was offside, not offside; if it was inside, not inside the penalty box," Blatter said. "No. This would destroy an essential element in this game  --  and this is emotion," he added." (Vecsey 1). Emotion is what drives this sport. You can not get the same emotion in any other game. Fans clinging to their seats for 90 minutes hanging on to every blade of grass that is torn up by their favorite players. Yes, instant replay could cause stoppages, but no one wants that. The people for instant replay don't want that. We just want it to be tested and see if there is a way to incorporate it without ruining the flow. 

Games are ruined by blown off-sides calls, incorrect penalty decisions and a bunch of other mistakes. This technology should be considered for the well being of the game. Other sports have adopted different kinds of instant replay. "It's hard to deny that it's made the sports better. With the ability to correct mistakes and confirm close calls, games have improved and lingering doubts about the quality and impact of refereeing has -- with a few small exceptions -- largely been removed from the game" (Dowley 1). Instant replay has proven beneficial in other sports. "Experimenting with replay is such a common-sense move, but we're probably years away from it even being considered. Until then, match after match after match will be ruined by mistakes, misjudgments and refereeing incompetence." (Dowley 1). Managers and fans have voiced their opinions on the matter countless time. One manager commented after a game, ""If you have the access to it, why would you not use it? If there's any time you can be certain about something, why would you not want to have all the information you possibly could? It's kind of like the debate about goalline technology. It's like, really? We really need to have a discussion about that? It's crazy."" (Caitlin 1).  It makes you wonder with all of this support for it why isn't it being used. Its not like its just fans voicing this opinion. It's managers and players. In an interview MLS commissioner Don Garber stated, "We spoke to the (MLS) Board about how instant replay might work, we think it can work, we'd love to see it work," the commissioner said. "We've got to talk to US Soccer, we've got to talk to FIFA, we've got to make sure the technology works, but you should know that MLS is a supporter of the idea." (Jason Davis 1).  The Commissioner of the MLS is all on board to start testing. "MLS has been running trials with a low-tech version of video review in three different markets  --  Philadelphia, Vancouver and Salt Lake City  --  and would like to begin experiment with live, in-game use either in MLS or perhaps in the third-division USL." (Tenorio 1). Reports like this are prime examples of what the sport of soccer should do. We have this technology so at least try it. ESPN reported, "Our findings show there is ample time to give information to the referee. Depending on the incident, there can be from 40 seconds to well over a minute, plenty of time to review a decision." (ESPN 1). Commissioners and managers have sat down and thought about when the sufficient time would be to use this system. "The FIFA-dominated panel met on Thursday in London to decide whether to allow the first official in-game tests with video replay systems that could, for example, help to inform referees on whether a penalty should be awarded, a player should be sent off, or consider violent conduct they might have missed." (Marshall 1).

The technology is available, it works, its been proven in other sports. The fact that it has taken this long to be tested is wrong. There are countless reasons why it should be used as I have previously shown you. Yes, there is a risk but the reward could be that much greater and who said it would be permanent if it were tried out in the sport. Soccer suffers from to many blown calls and it is hurting teams in the overall chase for the title of their leagues. It's an obvious move to test the theory that the MLS has come up with and we could help the game we love become even better. This system needs to be established in soccer so that we can bring justice to this amazing and passionate sport.
ague Soccer to Trial Video Referees, Plans to Implement in 2016." ESPNFC.com. ESPN, 

