Amman — The circle of anger and objection to refereeing decisions in the Pro League is widening, a scene that has forcefully imposed itself on the atmosphere of competition, as club protests have moved from statements and criticism after matches to official correspondence with the Football Association, amid demands for clarification of refereeing decisions, a review of officials' performance, and an examination of the reasons behind the recurring controversial errors.
اضافة اعلان
In the latest chapter of this objection, the administrations of Al-Wehdat and Al-Baqa'a sent two separate letters to the Football Association, each containing sharply worded objections and protests about the refereeing decisions in their teams' matches against Al-Arabi and Al-Ramtha, demanding clarifications from the referees' department about incidents that sparked controversy and decisions considered influential on the course of the two matches.
This step reflects a state of dissatisfaction that extends beyond the two clubs, amid increasing criticism of refereeing performance from a number of Pro League clubs, their players, and technical staffs over the past seven rounds. This places the referees' department under great responsibility in handling these observations and providing clear answers that strengthen trust in the refereeing system.
Although the Football Association responded to clubs' and fans' demands to use Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology from the start of the season, as an important step to reduce influential errors and achieve fairness between teams, the introduction of the technology has not yet succeeded in ending the controversy or putting an end to repeated objections. Some decisions made after the return to VAR have actually heightened the debate and criticism.
These facts reveal that the mere presence of technology is not enough to guarantee the soundness of decisions, as the referee's competence and ability to read, interpret, and handle incidents remain decisive factors in achieving fairness, whether for the on-field referee or the referee in the video room. This opens the door to the need to subject VAR officials to intensive, specialized training programs that raise their readiness and unify the mechanisms for dealing with different refereeing situations.
The league's VAR experience clearly still needs further development, not only in terms of equipment and technical facilities, but also in the competence of the human cadres who run the technology, and their ability to provide genuine assistance to the on-field referee in situations requiring intervention. Technology meant to reduce errors and settle clear cases cannot achieve its goals if those running it lack adequate qualification and experience.
Moreover, the multiplicity of viewpoints in interpreting refereeing situations calls for working to unify standards among referees, and clarifying which cases require video room intervention and which remain within the on-field referee's authority, so that technology does not turn from a means of achieving fairness into a new source of dispute and controversy.
Against this backdrop, there is an urgent need for the referees' department to handle the protests in a professional and transparent manner, moving beyond general responses, by clarifying the incidents that have sparked club objections, indicating whether the decisions made were correct, and using any errors identified to develop refereeing performance.
Announcing technical reviews of controversial incidents and listening to clubs' viewpoints would also ease tensions, and confirm that the primary goal is protecting competition and ensuring equal opportunity among all teams, away from any accusations or suspicion.
Former international referee and observer Ahmad Shehadeh believes the current season is witnessing a repetition of the refereeing errors that accompanied previous seasons, despite the use of the VAR technology, which was supposed to contribute to reducing these errors and limiting their impact on match results.
Shehadeh told Al Ghad: "Clubs have the right to demand clarifications from the referees' department about controversial incidents, especially given the presence of influential errors affecting match results. It's important that there be transparency and clarity in handling these cases, and that clubs receive convincing technical answers regarding the decisions causing their objections."
He stressed that the presence of VAR doesn't necessarily mean the disappearance of errors, as its success is tied to the competence of referees and their ability to handle it correctly, emphasizing the importance of continuing to train referees and develop their abilities, in a way that reflects positively on refereeing standards and strengthens confidence in the competition.
Source: Al-Ghad. Reporting by Yahya Qteishat
