# World Cup 2010. Worst-Called Cup In History? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 3, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429 "2010-07-03T15:04:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/1 "2010-07-03T15:04:56Z")
Am I right? Am I wrong? At least the refs seem to be consistently incompetent.😉 GO DEUTSCHLAND!!!🙂 Danke! Der Quas’ ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/2 "2010-07-03T16:13:13Z")
Lots of cameras and lots of angles and lots of bad calls by the talking heads and after the fact nit-picking. Some really bad calls but 98% have been very good. At what level have you been a referee? _snerk_ I want to see the old ‘Hand of God’ goal with all the new camera angles. I saw the original game and there was a real lack of actually seeing what he did… Bawahahahah We don’t need better referee’s, we need less professorial fouls being shown to our young players. Want higher scoring and more fun for the fans? Stop the cheating. Stop the dives. Play like a man and not a backyard bully. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/3 "2010-07-03T16:55:59Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > GO DEUTSCHLAND!!!🙂 Dude, don’t use English when saying that :rolleyes: It’s rather : DEUTSCHLAND DEUTSCHLAND ÜBER ALLES ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/4 "2010-07-03T17:06:23Z")
There have been two or three really bad calls, and one ref has been throwing the card too much, but on the whole it has been fairly good. I do not agree it has been “consistently incompetent”. But what about them Germans? Jesus! ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/5 "2010-07-03T17:37:55Z")
I love you little shits! Whole bunches! Gehen Sie Deutschland! Gottverdammit!!! Danke Der Quas’ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/6 "2010-07-03T18:43:30Z")
Unterwegs nach Cafe Society ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/7 "2010-07-03T21:39:24Z")
I actually think that the standard of refereeing, and especially the standard of offside calls, has been pretty good. I know that there have been some incorrect decisions but, as **GusNSpot** suggests, they are pored over in such detail now that it makes them look worse. The truth is, there have always been bad decisions, and plenty of them. They just didn’t get examined in such detail, because there weren’t so many cameras and so many replays. Offside, in particular, is a rule that is very difficult to call correctly. The linesman needs to judge two things at once, that happen in different places - when the last pass was made, and where the receivers of that pass were at that moment. Not to mention all the complications about other players who may have been in an offside position and may have been impeding the defenders’ view of the play. And yet, they call it correctly amazingly well. There have been many offside calls in this this tournament that initially felt wrong but were proven correct by the replays. The Tevez incident against Mexico was an exception, but it all happened very quickly, and I don’t blame the linesman for missing it. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/8 "2010-07-03T21:45:49Z")
Well, it’s typical that the England goal that was in was ruled out, otherwise the English would have nothing to talk about for the next four years. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/9 "2010-07-03T21:56:14Z")
I’m kicking this over to the Game Room with a request that you post in English. **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/10 "2010-07-03T21:59:51Z")
> [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](#): > > Well, it’s typical that the England goal that was in was ruled out, otherwise the English would have nothing to talk about for the next four years. … and what region of Scotland are you from? ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/11 "2010-07-03T22:11:41Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > I actually think that the standard of refereeing, and especially the standard of offside calls, has been pretty good. I know that there have been some incorrect decisions but, as **GusNSpot** suggests, they are pored over in such detail now that it makes them look worse. The truth is, there have always been bad decisions, and plenty of them. They just didn’t get examined in such detail, because there weren’t so many cameras and so many replays. > > Offside, in particular, is a rule that is very difficult to call correctly. The linesman needs to judge two things at once, that happen in different places - when the last pass was made, and where the receivers of that pass were at that moment. Not to mention all the complications about other players who may have been in an offside position and may have been impeding the defenders’ view of the play. > > And yet, they call it correctly amazingly well. There have been many offside calls in this this tournament that initially felt wrong but were proven correct by the replays. The Tevez incident against Mexico was an exception, but it all happened very quickly, and I don’t blame the linesman for missing it. I agree, in the first week I actualy was thinking they might have been doing a secret experiment with extra refs looking at video footage and instructing the ref through the head sets. I’m quite sure that’s not the case now. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/12 "2010-07-03T23:01:21Z")
Never been a ref, so ya got me there. Just a fan, and a fan for my beloved Deutschland. Suein’ Sie mich, bei Gott! Still love y’all though! :):)🙂 Der Q ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2010, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/13 "2010-07-04T08:48:51Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Gehen Sie Deutschland! Gottverdammit!!! > [@Quasimodem](#): > > Suein’ Sie mich, bei Gott! What language is this supposed to be? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2010, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/14 "2010-07-04T09:25:14Z")
It’s kind of curious that the more tv angles, the more slo-mo and other instant techniques and analysis, the worst the ref’s get. It must have been annoying back in the day when they got nothing wrong and there was no tv to show how great they were. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/15 "2010-07-04T22:06:02Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I’m kicking this over to the Game Room with a request that you post in English. > > **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator My apologies (again) **Twickster**. Why y’all haven’t banned my sorry ass already is a mistery to me. I know the rules, but just cannot remember then sometimes. i am sorry. Bill ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/16 "2010-07-04T22:47:38Z")
I also (in the spirit of fairness) want to point out that some of those “dives” are Oscar:) quality. I also hope that my German Doper friends will raise a glass of Hefe for me as they continue to watch our team advance to victory.🙂 And yes, I had mixed emotions when the US got eliminated. I did, after all, have an American Dad. I would have been a total wreck had the US played Germany! 🙂 Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/17 "2010-07-05T12:09:31Z")
When your team still survives it is easy enough to recline upon the Great Pillow of Satisfaction and ponder why lesser mortals still question the complete randomness of the referee calls. After all, won’t the multitudes of howling mistakes eventually balance themselves in the fullness of time? ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/18 "2010-07-05T13:44:36Z")
Perhaps.😉 Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![PopeJewish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@PopeJewish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PopeJewish)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/19 "2010-07-06T23:40:49Z")
Last world cup was pretty bad, too. There were possibly more ridiculous cards given out last time than this time. Hard to tell, though. World Cup refs always suck cause they’re always under so much more scrutiny, so much more pressure, and so many cameras make their mistakes obvious to the world (hindsight in slow motion from 4 angles being 20/20 and all that) ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2010-worst-called-cup-in-history/545429/20 "2010-07-07T00:00:34Z")
This was bad. But NOTHING beats Japan/Korea and the blatant help given Korea vs Italy and Spain. In fact, I consider that Brazil title bogus.