The Ref’s News

Technical analysis & officiating reports

General/OriginalPaywall

Five Seconds to Restart: Football’s New Laws Put Time-Wasting in the Referee’s Hands

Referees can now use visible countdowns for delayed throw-ins and goal kicks, while new rules also target slow substitutions, tactical injuries and unnecessarily long VAR reviews.

6 Aug

General/OriginalPaywall

The World Cup Is Not FIFA’s to Sell

FIFA insists its plan to bring private investors into the commercial operation of the World Cup will generate more money for football. UEFA sees something far more dangerous: the moment the game’s greatest competition becomes an investment product.

31 Jul

General/OriginalPaywall

English Football Approves Trial to Tackle Goalkeeper Tactical Timeouts

English football will trial a new rule requiring an outfield player to leave the pitch whenever play is stopped for goalkeeper treatment, in an attempt to remove the tactical advantage created by manufactured injury breaks.

28 Jul

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General/The Guardian — Football

Tottenham and Atlético in talks over Romero with Van de Ven set to sign new deal

Simeone keen on swoop for Spurs defender Van de Ven expected to pen five-year extension Tottenham are in talks with Atlético Madrid over the sale of Cristian Romero after categorically rejecting Arsenal’s approach for the Argentina defender and are expected to agree a new five-year deal with Micky van de Ven. Romero has made no secret of his desire to leave Spurs despite signing a new four-year contract at the start of last season and had looked set to join Internazionale for a fee of around £35m . But Atlético are long-term suitors of the 27-year-old and are thought to be his preferred destin

7 Aug

General/The Guardian — Football

Mexico and Argentina line up behind Infantino to deepen football’s civil war

Mexico breaks ranks with Concacaf to support Fifa chief Growing speculation country will switch to Conmebol The Mexican football federations have broken ranks with the rest of Concacaf by issuing their public backing for beleaguered Fifa president Gianni Infantino in a move that has deepened world football’s civil war. Concacaf has called for a thorough review of Fifa’s governance in the light of the World Cup sell-off debacle, and is backing Uefa’s demands for meaningful change, although has yet to follow their European counterparts by threatening to boycott tournaments if they do not achieve

7 Aug

General/The Guardian — Football

Football transfer rumours: Cristian Romero to leave Spurs for … Arsenal?

Today’s rumours wonder what it’s got to do with Aberdeen Twenty-five years after Sol Campbell’s move from White Hart Lane to Highbury , are we finally getting a sequel? Cristian Romero , Tottenham’s captain, has piqued Arsenal’s interest, the Athletic reports, though they also reckon it’s pretty unlikely that Spurs will allow such drama. D’oh. It would bring some tantalising chaos to this transfer window, but Diego Simeone may well swoop him away to Atlético Madrid. Inter have their sights on him, too. It could just be that a move for Rodri is what headlines the summer, the man who has complet

7 Aug

General/The Guardian — Football

Norway’s Klaveness tells Fifa president Infantino to resign: ‘There is no trust now’

‘There is no way back for him,’ says NFF president Infantino still battling for support around the world The Norwegian FA will ask Gianni Infantino to resign with immediate effect after his doomed attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Norway is the first federation to call directly for the Fifa president to step down after a series of controversies that came to a head with the current crisis surrounding his Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme. The decision was made in a meeting of the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) on Thursday night. Norway has consistently taken a lead

7 Aug