Yes

by Brendan O'Keeffe

Created on: January 27, 2010

A heart stopping World Cup Qualification match for Ireland ended in heartbreak as they exited the competition under the cruelest of circumstances last November. The now infamous (and rather cruelly titled) 'Hand of Frog' incident saw Thierry Henry handle the ball not once, but twice, before crossing to William Gallas who tapped the ball into the Irish net. That goal sealed Ireland's fate, and consigned them to the group of also-rans who will not make the trip to South Africa this summer.

Controversy ensued. A proud and expectant French footballing nation was aghast that their team would stoop so low. The Irish discussed alternatives with FIFA in confidence, which Sepp Blatter later revealed to the world's press in a bungled effort to make light of the issue. Even heads of state Cowen and Sarkozy discussed the nature of the incident. With so much controversy surrounding the incident, should the game be replayed?

The arguments against a replay are compelling. For starters, in its current form, the rules of football do not permit the use of video technology to adjudicate on controversial decisions. Nor does it permit the use of a post match review to overturn contentious rulings. The referee's decision is final in football - no post match analysis can overrule his decision.

Secondly, it’s worth noting that if this game was replayed, it would potentially set a dangerous precedent. It would open the door for further replay requests for games with decisions that are equally, if not more contentious. Many games involve handballs, goals that are incorrectly awarded, and fouls that are not seen by the referee. Replaying these matches could cause a logistical nightmare for Football Associations around the globe.

It should also be remembered that if the goal had not been conceded by the Irish, the game would have gone to penalties, and would not automatically have been an Irish win (a fact which is often overlooked).

The points above are practical, logical considerations. And there is a simple, practical response to these concerns - introduce a video referee. In the absence of a video referee for this game, replay the game. In the interests of fairness going forward, and in order to prevent subsequent replays, bring in a video referee for all future competitive games.

Finally, the decision to grant a replay is not purely a practical consideration. It is also a question of maintaining the integrity of a sport that is watched and loved by millions worldwide. And it’s a question that goes to the heart of why sport captures the imagination. Sport makes the impossible possible. It gives a sense of hope and excitement when the seemingly impossible happens. Football requires that fairness and integrity be the cornerstones of its governing association, and when they are not we need to change the rules of the game, as well as the association that governs the sport. The credibility of the game demands it.

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