FIFA to use 'trios'
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from October 2002.
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Switzerland (AP) – World soccer's governing body FIFA said Monday it plans to appoint "trios" of referees from the football same country to officiate at the next World Cup finals.
CONCACAF has made what it termed a vehement protest against the decision.
The decision by the newly created Referees Committee sees an end to FIFA's attempts to appoint referees from as many countries as possible, which have drawn criticism for leading to low-quality refereeing. Having reviewed the refereeing standards at this year's World Cup in Japan and South Korea, "the committee unanimously agreed that the best referees and assistants, working as trios from the same country, should be in charge at the next FIFA World
Cup," in Germany in 2006, FIFA said in a statement.
The teams of three will be first introduced for the World Youth Championship, in the United Arab Emirates next March and April. In an interview with The Associated Press during this year's event, FIFA President Sepp Blatter called for an end to "refereeing experiments" in the body's flagship tournament.
"Here we have a main referee from one country and he has two assistants from another country, and he's never worked with them before," he said.
"Every trio of referees should have enough international exposure before being called on to officiate a World Cup match."
There were a series of complaints about dubious calls by referees through.
out the tournament, especially from Spain and Italy.
Hussain scores century
Australia (AP) England's Nasser Hussain scored a century Tuesday to give the tourists a cricket 114-run first innings lead against Western Australia and a confidence boost ahead of the Ashes cricket series.
Hussain stroked 117 before England was bowled out for 327 in reply to 213. Matthew Nicholson took five wickets and conceded two runs as England slumped from 312 for five to be all out with the addition of 15 runs.
