Football fans may remember the under-21 European Championship qualification match between Italy and Slovakia. The Scottish referee deprived the young Slovaks of a penalty and later sent off two of their players for soft tackles. For similar reasons, the Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura made headlines on the first day of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. By coincidence, both matches ended 3-1 to the home team. However, if the referees could have consulted video replays, the results could have been very different.
Football federations promised to review the issue of video replays after mistakes by referees have caused several controversies over the last few years. However, those who are looking forward to enjoying every detail of the European Championship 2016 in front of the TV might be disappointed. Even viewers will have to do without video replays of questionable offside decisions on TV, as, under the threat of financial penalties, TV broadcasters cannot draw lines on the screen to show the position of players in the decisive moment. It is the result of the latest UEFA ruling that will deprive onlookers from knowing the truth.
