Referees

Since the 2022 tournament kicked off, many viewers have found themselves wondering, “Why is the World Cup stoppage time so much higher than normal?” The United States was given eleven minutes of stoppage time against Wales, while England and Iran played an additional 15 minutes in the first half and then a further 14 minutes at the end of the full 90. 

Semi-automated offside technology is in use for the first time in FIFA World Cup history in Qatar this year. The system is more accurate than the lines that VAR used to draw, but it hasn’t come without controversy. A Lautaro Martínez offside call during Argentina’s shocking 2-1 defeat vs. Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest talking points.

Sometimes, the best things in life are worth waiting for. Arsenal and Leeds played a thoroughly fascinating match following a lengthy delay due to technical issues at Elland Road, but it was the Gunners who managed to hold on, only just, against Jesse Marsh’s plucky side.

The hero on the day was Bukayo Saka, who now has four goals and four assists in his last seven Premier league games. The 21-year-old is up for the Kopa trophy this week and his performances in recent weeks can only make his case better. 

Chances of being struck by lightning are rare, but even rarest are the stories of those who were able to survive them. 

Referee Charlie Panes is one of those stories.

Referee struck by lightning

The 24-year-old official was overseeing a match in Bago City, Philippines, when nature hit him. 

The action captured on video shows how the lighting first struck an acacia tree before ricocheting toward the ref, in a sequence of events that probably ended up saving his life.

In a horrifically senseless story out of Canada, soccer and futsal referee Edwin Farley Alvarado Quintero has passed away after being struck by gunfire following an argument at La Liga Sports Complex in Toronto.

According to Futsal Canada, the 49-year-old was officiating a match that devolved into a fight before a man fired shots into the building, striking three and killing Alvarado. 

I've played on long fields, short fields, skinny fields, wide fields. Fields with metal fencing as the net and fields so hilly you could barely see from one goal to another. In high school, the inauguration of our newly-turfed home field was even delayed because movable goals were brought in instead of anchored ones.

But never have I heard of the goals being two different sizes — as was the case at Saturday's EFL Championship match between Wigan Athletic and Cardiff City.

76,893 fans packed into Wembley Stadium on Friday to watch England defeat the United States women’s national team 2-1 in a wildly entertaining friendly. The game had a bit of everything including two controversial VAR decisions that went against the U.S.

The game got off to a brutal start for the USWNT when Alana Cook had a nightmare at the back. In the ninth minute a dangerous but clearable cross from Beth Mead came into the box and Cook failed to get it clear. Lauren Hemp jumped on the failed clearance and tucked in the game’s opener