Ref Controversy: Is Vikki Wall Held to a “Different Standard”?

The recent sin-binning of Vikki Wall during a match has ignited a debate regarding the standards applied to her. A former footballer, Nadine Doherty, believes the Meath player faces harsher refereeing decisions compared to other athletes, particularly regarding perceived fouls.

The Sin-Bin Incident

Doherty discussed the contentious yellow card given to Wall during the Meath versus Kildare game, highlighting the incident in which Wall was penalized in the 44th minute for a foul on Claire Sullivan. Doherty stated it wasn’t a clear foul, suggesting that Wall was unfairly punished.

Doherty pointed out, “I just felt that Vikki had the ball, she was at full pace which is a lot of pace but that’s her strength, so she can’t be punished for that. And the Kildare player came across her, very clearly put two hands up to Vikki’s chest. Vikki saw this late, turned her shoulder to protect herself as you would and straight away I knew she’d get a sin-bin, and you could see she was dumbfounded, as was everybody.”

She feels that Wall, who recently returned from playing in the Australian Football League (AFL), is unfairly scrutinized. Doherty believes these calls are not isolated and are happening too frequently.

The Charge Rule Debate

Doherty also expressed her issues with the charging rule within women’s football, suggesting it is outdated. She questioned whether the rule aims to keep the game non-contact. However, she feels the game is full-contact and the rule often causes confusion for referees.

“I just think the charge rule is outdated. I don’t know why it’s in our game. Is it to keep our game and I put this in inverted commas, a ‘non-contact sport’ game? The game isn’t non-contact. It’s full-contact, it’s a physical game. I don’t see the point of (the charge rule) because it actually puts refs in positions where sometimes I feel they don’t actually know what the right call is. They might argue that.”

Women’s football has experienced a surge in popularity, with viewership increasing by 15% this season, as reported by the BBC (BBC 2024).

Looking Ahead

Doherty thinks that opponents sometimes exploit the charging rule to disrupt Wall’s play style when she has the ball. The former player stresses that it is unfair how Wall is treated.

The ongoing discussion emphasizes the necessity for consistent officiating standards, as well as how athletes are judged and the need to review some rules.