Michael Platini wants to have two extra assistant referees to patrol the penalty area during free kicks and corner kicks.
Is this really a practical proposition and would it really achieve anything?

What would they do for the rest of the time? With cops and stewards, we've got enough layabouts getting paid to watch the game.

The issue I have with this sort of idea is that people keep jumping to solutions without stopping to think through what the problems are.

Are linesmen (or assistant refs, if you prefer) over-stretched? Yes.
Do we ask them to do too much? Yes.
In the case of the offside rule, do we ask them to judge the impossible? Yes.
Do refs use them to their full potential? No.
Do they take the responsibility they should? No.

You could add your own items to the list. And the above should be elaborated more. We ned to be clear about what the problems are.

Does any of this add up to a need for more linesmen? Possibly, but that shouldn't be the starting point of the discussion.

I think before this we need to have fourth officials in the lower leagues of Scotland, it is shocking that there is no substitute if the referee gets injured which I have seen twice in livi match, I'm not sure what happens if one of the linesmen has to become the referee, who takes the linesman slot.

How come the lower leagues don't have fourth officials?

I think things are fine as they are. Yes, the ref's not going to see everything. That's part-and-parcel of the game, and gives us plenty to discuss on here. The last thing we need is the organisation of matches to be made more costly and more complicated.

In the First Division, it's to stop Alex Rae being sent to the stand any more often than he is at the moment.

I know thats a joke there, before you go Whoosh!, but there is a serious point behind that, with fourth officials it gives the manager of a club to question a decision without getting riled up at the referee, in the SPL I would say there is less cases of managers being sent to the stand than the First-Third Divisions.

I recall a couple of seasons back there was outrage when someone from the crowd was brought in as a linesman when the referee was injured.

It was a Morton game IIRC.

As far as that Morton v Airdrie game is concerned, apparently the linesman ran the line pretty well.

From the comments I shout at refs, some might not believe this... but the referees' decisions are not there to be questioned. I'm not convinced that a fourth official would be helpful in second-guessing why a decision was given anyway.

On the positive side, it would increase lower league attendances by one.

It happens all the time. We had a linesman from the crowd against Peterhead recently when the starting linesman was injured.

A few years ago at an E. Fife game it happened and the guy was such a dick - giving everything to E. Fife - that the ref. just ignored him even when he was waving his flag wildly.

I think though that even if the referees decisions aren't there to be questioned it gives the manager a chance to speak to someone senior without having to distract the nearside linesman who already has enough on his shoulders. It also helps with substitutions. We must be one of the few leagues that don't have fourth officials.

I don't have a clue as I wasnt there, but the Morton fans are always going on about James McPake being a linesman in a game recently, I could be wrong though.

I'm still not convinced that there's any great problem. Other than keeping Hamilton from sneaking 12 players onto the pitch, perhaps.

OK, and where do you suggest we get all these extra officials from? You maybe aren't aware of this, but it's a struggle to get enough referees through the exam to be able to take all the games that get played in all leagues, and indeed although you won't ever officially be told of this being the case, many games in amateur leagues only get played because someone unqualified agrees to do the game. I don't see the need for fourth officials at SPL games, and I certainly don't see the need to have them for SFL games as well. The system we've had for years with the senior linesman talking over and someone in the crowd taking over for the linesman, is fine with me. I have to say though, I do sort of worry that the call will go out at EEP some time soon, and I'll be the only qualified ref in the crowd!




I agree completely. Mistakes will come about regardless, and as I said above, I really don't see any justification for more officials than necessary.

I think when a linesman is picked out of the crowd, he's just there for official reasons more than anything else. The referee will attempt to do both jobs, but of course that means having to be closer to play when it's out on the touchline.

The assistant referees at the moment don't really do much assisting so I don't see the point of having any more.

The referee stands at the far side from the free-kick/corner so all the action is in front of him. I'm sure there are things he would miss but there's so much wrestling taking place now at set pieces that it's just a joke. They should start booking players and giving penalties to try and get it stopped.

I'll make it clearer what I am stating here, I was replying to the original post that I think before having extra assistant referees their should be fourth officials at the lower league games first. I think it should be one rule for all, eg no fourth official for anyone of fourth official for every match.

What's the point?

We already have three incompetent arseholes ruining most games each and every week, what's the point in employing more of them, no doubt the officiating would be just as shite.