FIFA Satisfied With Officiating

David Wills, president of the FIFA referees’ commission, said the committee is “very satisfied� with the work of its referees and linesmen, despite widespread criticism of the inconsistency of handing out red cards and the number of hotly disputed penalty calls.

“The quality of the refereeing has proven superior to that found in the previous World Cup in the USA in 1994,� he said. “We should pay tribute to the assistants, as they are not in the spotlight despite their very high quality work. Their grades average 8.3 out of 10 and for the referees, it’s 8.5 out of 10.

“Of course, there have been some errors. But I would like to point out that in 40 matches, only three calls have been contested.�