R3 vs Sydney | Sun 23 Oct | 7:00pm | ROF

There has been woeful officiating in all three games. That has to be said, and we have been stitched up like a kipper as a result.

But this aint the Premier League with millions of $ riding on it, we actually do need to provide some entertainment even if we end up bottom of the league. Playing kids football where everybody chases the ball down the middle and there is no width and where we spend most of the game obsessed with stats and passing the thing backwards just aint gonna cut it.

Yesterday was a piss poor game of ping pong football. The shape of our front 6 is horrid, and very frustrating to watch. It may have worked for a while with Burns and Riera, but I don't think it suits the current players at all.

Id like to apologise whole-heartedly for my poorly executed attempt at humour that was aimed at Sarah Jones.

To be honest she is not really my type anyway. I dont really like football match officials! 

There is no need to be sexist about it, but I do think we have had three shark refs and one shark lino so far this season.

We should expect that people appointed to this level have years of experience.

Offside is easier to call with the benefit of TV replay, we all know that, but given what we have seen to date this season, you have to wonder at the officials' development program. Basics like tackling from behind, not retreating for free kicks and diving/time wasting are not being addressed properly.

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Is there a chance for our friendly referee on this forum to give some insight into general standard of reffing in A-League this season so far:

- pretty much same as always?

- improved?

- not as good as it used to be?

99% EPL offside calls are correct. That's is a pretty good rate. Wonder about A-League stats.

Also I highly recommend  you read the new Laws of the Game, as the law around retreating from a free kick has changed from previous seasons.

Wholeheartedly agree about being able to discuss officials without bringing gender into the equation at all.

AH thanks for clarifying Patrick.

Watching the Chelsea v Manu game last night and a replay of a Chelsea goal looked familiar to Sunday.

But we all must remember

Yeah stop blaming officials and blame the coach, he sucks too many loses 

Then thank you for removing it.  Not necessary at all.  She;s not the first AR to get a tight offside wrong.

Looks like Ernie is only as good as Jose Mourinho and so I am prepared to cut him some slack.

Vince Lia made the HAL team of the week. First 'Nix player to do so this season.

Genuinely think that was one of his best games in a Nix shirt

And sadly she will not be the last. A League match officials have not improved since day 1 of the A League. As I said, why is it the FFA always seem to choose Phoenix games to give match officials their debuts in? They know that they will make mistakes but hey, it's only the Kiwis so we dont give a fudge attitude that annoys me. The other guy got Krishna's offside wrong too......unless someone has a pic if it side on. Whilst not happy with yet another loss, I am happy with how we tried to play. It was a lot more positive and not a We Give Up attitude.

another year contract getting prepared. To be honest, I dislike him immensely but he has played alot better than roly this season...

I've only caught a short replay but wasn't Wee Mac off side & attempting to play the ball but missed for the on-side Krishna to slot home? If so I think the linesman is fair to stop the play as Wee Mac was interferring in play.

Saw the first half replay when I was at the gym todayt

We were pretty good, looked the better team

Gives me confidence for later

Don't think that is the one being debated.

On the one hand it is hard to tell close offsides in real time. On the other hand, that is the AR's job so the "it's hard" excuse is a bit weak at this level

Sarah Jones is a New Zealand AR. Don't NZ officials just get Nix games? Correct me if I'm wrong.

It was her first game but doesn't everyone have to get a first game before they can become experienced? And besides, I think she got the Krishna decision absolutely right. It was a close, very difficult and brave call - and she got it right. Hope it's the first of many A-League games for her.

He was onside IMO, probably not as clear cut as people think because of the way the wide angle lens distorts the frame, but onside none the less. It was a marginal call though. 

I'd like to see a replay of the offside where Kosta was one on one with the keeper.

That camera angle is nowhere near in line. Look at the line mowed into the grass and the distance Krishna is to it compared to the defenders. She is in perfect position there and while it's very close, I believe she made the right decision.

Proving that two sets of eyes will see two different things it seems obvious to me that Krishna is at least a meter onside. If someone more computer savvy than me manages to draw a line across field, taking into account the perspective of the camera angle (and not just simply aligning it with the closest mowing line) then he is very much onside. And the lino is right where she should be. Yet still got it wrong.

Look at the distortion of the lens  though,  compare the line of the penalty area which is straight to the mowed line which is angled. Because Krishna is closer to the frame he's always going to appear further away from the line than players in the distance. The only way to actually figure it out is to get the lens width and the focal depth of the camera punch that information into a 3d application, like Blender, and overlay a 3d grid.

Agree.

And her position is a red herring. You can be perfectly positioned and still make the wrong call. 

So the only person who is perfectly placed and qualified to know if it was onside or not is the person holding a flag who made the call? ?

Now watch the EPL AR in goal #? Chelsea v Manu and compare the decisions. 

Here's a way of looking at it: 

The mown strip and the box are parallel. Therefore you can look at what proportion of the distance between the two lines each player has covered, which eliminates the perspective distortion because you're looking at relative distance not absolute distance on the frame.

Compared to the total distance between the lines at the point they are standing Krishna looks closer to the mown strip than the defenders do. IMO

A very hard call. Lino looks to see the ball played and then checks the position of the attacker a split second later, and Krishna has moved offside in that split second.

Regardless. I think it's clear that it wasn't an outrageously terrible decision by an inexperienced official. It was very close and right or wrong it didn't cost the Phoenix the game.

Exactly. Draw a line across field from the heel of the far defender taking into account natural spatial perspective and Krishna is nowhere near offside. The lino doesn't have to fart around worrying about perspective like an obsessive Nix fan, she's right there, right in line and she messed it up!