Central League

My only thought four the fourth goal is that the way the referee used his whistle immediately after blowing the foul indicated that he wanted the game to stop to talk to the defenders.  Other than that I can't see an issue.  I'm not sure on the rules around the use of the whistle to know whether that was enough to actually indicate that it couldn't be taken quickly, but I would probably assume that it was if I was a defender on the receiving end of it.

I'm guessing the keeper said something for the 7min decision, but without audio it's hard to make a judgement.  Didn't really notice anything else horrendously bad though.  TT saved by the woodwork a couple of times though!

Nah, TT's 4th goal is poor refereeing. Your whistle communicates to players what's happening and he blew the whistle for the foul, then blew again in a matter that to anyone who has played the game means "stop". Often this is to have a word with a player. I'd be extremely hacked off with that as a player.

Also a pet peeve on the final play f the video, the TT player who clearly runs to prevent the quick freekick should be carded.

Can't be a caution for OFFINABUS tho

It absolutely can be.

I think that's a fair interpretation of what happened, but that does disadvantage TT, the team who is fouled in this situation, as it gives the offending team time to organise their defence. If they want to take it quickly, they should be able. Allowing them to take it quickly doesn't seem to be in contravention of the laws, if this was going to be a 'cut grass' rather than a card. 

Not necessarily good for match control thou!

Wrong - Sending off offence under Law 12 from memory?

Why was the keeper no where to be seen.  Coming to get involved in something he didn't need to or maybe thinking free kick was his and had come to take it?

The key for mine on the fourth goal is that the whistle is still being blown after they take it quickly. That says to a player that play has stopped again and it's being brought back. However I think the ref is actually still just blowing from the foul rather than with the intent to stop play again which makes for a very confusing situation as the defender there.

Still doesn't explain where the keeper was though or what that card at the 7th minute was for.

He has stopped play, but play is restarted by the fouled team taking the DFK quickly, which they are in their rights to do, (they can also choose to ask for a ceremonial FK (wall).

According to law 12:

• Delaying the restart of play to show a card - Once the referee has decided to caution or send off a player, play must not be
  restarted until the sanction has been administered. 

This means that if the ball is in play, play continues, and he comes back to given the caution/sending off after play stops. (You see this all the time)

It means in this situation, that play can continue by the quick FK, if the fouled team elect to, if the ref never intended to give a card.

If I was a defender in that game, the way he blew the foul, then continued to blow the whistle repeatedly, I would take it that he intended to give the card, or at least stop the game to have a discussion.  The whistle is how a referee communicates with players in the first instance, and I think, right or wrong in law, he did a poor job of communicating his intentions in this case.

Lets talk about the real issues raised by the video!

Is 17 green even wearing shinpads?

When green is offside in the area, the go appears to pass the idfk to a TT defender who is also in the area, but then the camera jumps ahead. Was the idfk retaken?

why should the player be booked? if the ref hasn't told the player to get back 10 then he can stand where ever he likes. maybe rapa players should have done the same for the last goal instead of going off at the ref.

• shinguards – these must be made of a suitable material to provide reasonable protection and covered by the socks" 

I believe common use of kids shin guards or formed plastic approx 3 mm thick passes this requirement

Went back - looked at #17 no sign of either with soaks down like that.

Ref appears to waive play on after whistle blowing at quick free kick. (We can't see if he had gone to defuse after's out of shot of camera)

Asking for 10 is a concept that doesn't exist under the laws of the game. It's weird that it's become accepted as fact.

Apart from the refereeing, I thought TT did well, I also wonder what on earth the Wairarapa keeper was doing for most of the game. How many goals did he cost?

isn't it one of those directives from FIFA that isn't a rule but is advised to be used, a bit like how drop balls are never competed for anymore

The Wairarapa keeper was doing whats known, especially by Nelson Suburbs fans, as "a Coey" 

He has actually got a lot better in the last couple of seasons, but as you can see in the vid he is still prone to it and it looks as though he saved all this seasons "Coey's" up for one game. 

As well he'll miss the next game as that was his 5th caution

How does a keeper get 5 yellows in a season.

Mouthing off at referees most likely. 

Going by his form in that game they won't miss him much.  ;)

Wonder if Canty United know what they're getting into. Although it's harder to get a card from the bench I guess.

He kept Knight out of the #1 jersey 2 years ago. I still think he left Tasman cos he thought he'd have a better shot of starting at Canterbury as well, so don't be surprised if he has ample opportunity to collect cautions!

Plenty of examples of howlers if they watched highlights from last summer. He was particularly bad against TW in Petone.

Don't need to be on the pitch to get a card if you're gunna lip off while getting splinters ;)

I don't remember h being bad the rest of the game though.

Women Saturdays and Men Sundays now...

Yeh I don't get that, with the travel involved why they would have so many games on Sundays.

Congratulations to Western Suburbs on winning the Central League. They were a class above the other teams as the table reflects.

It was a revelation to watch the style of play  with young players showing plenty of individual flair, not something that has always been encouraged with youth players. I am sure that many of these boys will go onto much higher  achievements.

The Wests have certainly deserved it.  

Congratulations to them - especially to the young players and then to the  coaches, and their supporters.

As an Olympic supporter I look forward to our games against the new Champs next season. 

Again, well done !

Definitely this.

Hope they do the Cup double.

Lower Hutt beat Wairarapa 3-2 which confirms Palmerston North Marist are relegated

so the only interesting thing left in the Central League will be the Mar-Olympic derby on the last day (Aug 19)

Highlights: Wests v Lower Hutt

Found the Wests team list for yesterday's game on social media.

A quick google search gave me some - mostly accurate - ages. Reckon the WeeNix would easily be younger, but this Wests squad must be the youngest team to win it (only 5 players over 19). Also, at a guess there are only 2 players not eligible for NZ  (Blake and Tetteh).

That's bloody tough on Withers.  Pretty sure he's a 1994 so 23

Thanks - I stand corrected. I see he was in a 13th grade rep team in 2007.

I hadn't gone past the first google link that came up:

http://www.footballdatabase.eu/football.joueurs.andrew.withers.255637.en.html

Full Game: Western Suburbs v Wellington Phoenix