We are, a bit. So we are taking a short break. In August it all starts again: preliminaries, qualifiers, play-offs, group stages, knock-out rounds, quarter and semi finals and finals. We hope you will be there too, helping us out with reports, marks and facts about referees.
Looking back at EURO 2008, we'd like to thank our friends Sheriff, Croref, Eric, Vim, Roughani Majid, Knut, Wolfgang, Gio, Saltaris, Ray, Ryszard, Gaston, SCR, SoccerEye, Eugene, Bucks and Kent Karlsson (Kent could you send us an email?) for their keen eyes and sharp reports.

Jack, Archie and Dave

Worldreferee.com offers an ever increasing database of international referees. We invite you to join us: tell us what you like about this site and what you hate about it, talk about matches and referees in our forums or write your own match report.

Our reporter Croref is not satisfied with the explanation given by UEFA about Van Nistelrooy's off-side goal. And he invites you to join him in a discussion.

See UEFA's explanation
See forum off-side

It seems that former diver and current UEFA big shot Platini has (again) made some foolish statements, to the l'Equipe newspaper. The gist of it seems to be that he admires a good cheat. That he used to cheat. That no further action is required to ban diving.

Bearing in mind the instructions printed below, these are strange statements to say the least. You can read all about it here in Paul Doyle's fine article for the Guardian newspaper.

These are the instructions given to the referees in the UEFA EURO 2008 tournament. Teams and players will be presented with a DVD, to see for themselves what new rules they're up against.

"We are working together for positive play"

1. Act firmly (red card) against challenges involving excessive force which therefore endanger the safety of the opponent, including the illegal use of arms and elbows. The players have got to feel safe on the field of play.
2. Control holding / pushing in the penalty area prior to corner kicks and free kicks:
   • First time in the match: a verbal warning
   • Second time: a card (before the kick is taken)
   • If it continues after the kick is taken: free kick or penalty kick
3. Simulation intended to deceive the referee will be punished with a yellow card for unsporting behaviour. Acts of simulation not seen by the referee during the match may be punished retrospectively by the UEFA disciplinary bodies.
4. Any players involved in mass confrontation have to realise that the main protester(s), including any who run over to join in, will get a yellow card.
5. We expect players to respect the match officials' decisions. Referees can accept a spontaneous expression of frustration from players, but will firmly sanction players who show dissent to the referees by word or action.
6. Coaches acting responsibly will be left to do their jobs in the technical area (only one person is authorised to give instructions at a time). However, if a coach openly criticises the referee, action will be taken to curb his behaviour.

These are the men in charge.

Massimo Busacca (SWI)
Frank de Bleeckere (BEL)
Herbert Fandel (GER)
Peter Frojdfeldt (SWE)
Tom Henning Overebo (NOR)
Pieter Vink (NED)
Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez (ESP)
Lubos Michel (SVK)
Konrad Plautz (AUT)
Howard Webb (ENG)
Roberto Rosetti (ITA)
Kyros Vassaras (GRE)
 
 
Of course the WorldReferee team has its own favorites, we would like to cross out one or two of the above and add:
Claus Bo Larsen (DEN)
Robert Malek (POL)
Aleksandru Dan Tudor (ROM)

 
Tell us in our forum which referee you'd like to see and which you don't.