Everyone knows that refereeing in professional sports is difficult. Referees have to keep track of everything that is going on on the field by themselves, while fans have the benefit of thousands of eyes to catch any mistake, not to mention cameras that can replay any event over and over again. Still, when a referee makes an egregiously bad call or no-call, there is nowhere for him to hide, and this is especially true in the case of association football, where the fans are particularly unforgiving.

Missed Handball
However, most agree that the failure to call two consecutive handballs by France’s Thierry Henry in their World Cup Qualifier against Ireland to have been an error of the most unforgivable kind. With 17 minutes in overtime remaining in a 1-1 tie, replay showed Henry quite clearly not only using his hand to keep the ball in play, but then using his hand to pass the ball to William Gallas, who headed in the winning goal.

Was the Referee at Fault?
Somehow, Swedish referee Martin Hansson completely missed the offenses, despite the insistences by the Irish team that a foul had been committed, and the French win stood, allowing them to advance. Henry acknowledged what the replay showed, that he had in fact handed the ball, although he said it was unintentional.

Calls to Replay the Game
FIFA has refused to review or replay the game, saying that despite the error, the game was complete and could not be replayed. All the Irish and many in France have called for a replay, saying that they don’t want it to be perceived that the French won the game by cheating.

Hansson’s Response
The 38 year old Hansson, who has been a referee for eight years, claimed that he was not at fault, saying that his view and the view of all the linesmen were obstructed. According to Hansson, photographs of the incident bear this out. Nevertheless, the legendary brutal pressure applied by soccer fans has been so hard on Hansson that he has said he has seriously considered retirement, although he is due to referee in the Champions League on December 8th or 9th.