World Cup Soccer U.S. Slovenia Referee Call

The ball smashed against the upper netting but right as the U.S. started celebrating, the referee did not allow the goal. Why?

Replays showed two U.S. attackers being held by Slovenia defenders. Replays from different angles didn't reveal anything obvious: no offside, no pushing by the U.S., no tripping from the U.S. - it's not clear why the referee in the match did not allow the goal.

As a soccer referee, I'll have to say . . . I don't know why the goal was not allowed. Given the replay angles I don't see anything conclusive. The commentators on ESPN3.com said after the match that the referee just wasn't up to the match and stated with conviction that was his honest assessment.

At the end of this article are two other articles I wrote about officiating.

Okay, it's the ref's fault. No, not really. We don't really know why the referee made the call he did so here are additional reasons:

#1 The referee saw something - a hold on a jersey perhaps out of the camera view that gave one of the U.S attackers a quick advantage. He made a call based on what he thought he saw.

#2 Something happened right before the kick - the referee may have seen a movement that prompted him to make the call.

#3 The referee anticipated incorrectly - maybe he thought an infraction was ready to occur and made the call to disallow the goal.

While the players shook the referee team's hands after the match, I believe Michael Bradley, who scored the tying goal, yelled at them. I'm sure the ref considered what happened and ran the scenario through his own mind. Although, at his level, he may have dismissed it immediately and hours later has forgotten about it. A good referee will learn from his own calls but he or she won't take it personally.

I do know this. Watching the World Cup and seeing calls made at this level without knowing why helps me in my own confidence as a referee. A referee sees --- something --- and makes a call. That's part of the game and it's part of sports at all levels.

The U.S. has added a level of high sophistication to officiating with the use of instant reply in pro sports which I think is overall a fine use of technology. But the human element in officiating still remains - especially in soccer where judgment calls take in to account elements of the match that may not be obvious to the players, coaches, or spectators.

For more on officiating, read these two articles I wrote here on AC:
How to apply the laws of the game
Using eye contact and voice Hopefully, my opinions can help those watching the game understand the referee has seen "something" and must make a decision . . . even if we don't understand or appreciate the official decision on the field of play.