Asian Cup 2015: A-League could have full-time match officials as early as 2017

IT’S only a matter of time before the A-League fields professional match officials given the large number of locals on Asian Cup duty, says the FFA’s referees boss.

Uzbekistan v Saudi Arabia Asian Cup, Group B. at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, 18th January. Referee Ben Williams dissallowed goal as a shocked JASUR KHASANOV of Uzbekistan holds his head in the second half. Picture : George Salpigtidis

IT’S only a matter of time before the A-League fields professional match officials given the large number of locals on Asian Cup duty, says the FFA’s referees’ boss Ben Wilson.

Two of Asia’s best leagues - Japan’s J-League and the K-League in South Korea - have joined the world’s major competitions, including England, Italy, Spain, Germany and the US, in employing referees on a full-time basis.

Ben Williams disallows a goal in the Uzbekistan-Saudi Arabia clash.

And with Ben Williams and Peter O’Leary - who were both FIFA 2014 World Cup referees - the AFC’s assistant referee of the year, Matthew Cream, Chris Beath and Paul Cetrangolo all officiating during the tournament, the call for professionalism is getting louder and louder.

Wilson says having the five involved is a glorious endorsement.

“Professional refereeing, it has to be inevitable,’’ said Wilson, who is also a liaison officer for the local organising committee at the Asian Cup.

“You look at every major league around the world and they have professional referees, refereeing professional players.

“We’re now in the 10th season of the A-League and you could argue the time is almost right to introduce professional referees.

Ben Williams and Iran's goalkeeper Ali Reza Haghighi share a laugh.

“Referees want it, fans want it, players want it, it’s just a matter of time.”

Professional referees may be introduced as part of the new A-League TV rights deal in 2017.

The 47-strong match officials contingent is part of a unique team environment, based in Sydney, during the Asian Cup.

They train together, have technical meetings, conduct match reviews and previews, dine as a group and only split when attending appointments at the five Asian Cup stadiums - Canberra, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane and Melbourne.

And Wilson said while the FFA used additional assistant referees (AAR) during the FFA Cup as a trial, it’s not a priority for the A-LEague next season - although the concept will be considered.

“In 15 FFA Cup matches there was no obvious involvement from the AAR that maybe changed results,’’ Wilson said.

“They did a lot of subtle things that were picked up and their presence saw very few penalties because of the extra set of eyes near the penalty area.”

But goal-line technology which was used at a FIFA World Cup for the first time in Brazil last year is out of the equation because of the cost of setting up the high-tech gadgets at each A-League venue.

Wilson, nonetheless, believes simulation and gesticulating to referees to get players cautioned has been brought mostly under control.

“I don’t think (diving) is particularly prevalent in the A-League, we’ve done a pretty good job of controlling it,’’ Wilson said.

“In the English Premier League, for example, there have been lots of high-profile incidents in their competition around simulation.

“I think we have it from time to time but if you look at the statistics I don’t think there is any increase at all in the number of players that have been caught or even simulated and gotten away with it.”

Williams is working with Cream and Cetrangolo as assistants, O’Leary has a team of New Zealand assistants while Beath - who was a fourth official before the start of the tournament - was promoted when Uzbek referee Valentin Kovalenko had to withdraw due to illness.

O’Leary was appointed after an invitation from the AFC with him being based in New Zealand in the confines of the Oceania Football Confederation.

Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: A-League could have full-time match officials as early as 2017