Comms cock-up behind the decisin to allow West Ham goal

The mix-up between Anthony Taylor and his assistant during today's crucial Premier League match between West Ham and Liverpool struck at the heart of one of the most important issues in refereeing - the communication between the man in the middle and his team of two assistants and a fourth official.

On Saturday, I ran the line in a Kent County League game for a young and promising referee who is rising quickly up the ladder. He certainly made me feel my age as he sprinted around the pitch.

But one thing he said in his pre-match briefing to his assistants came back to haunt me on Sunday afternoon as I watched the game on TV. "At corners, watch the goalkeeper for me, I'll be busy watching other players."

The referee was saying, "if you see a foul on the goalkeeper, give me a signal and I'll follow your lead unless I've had a perfect view of the incident." I didn't need to use that advice but Taylor's assistant could certainly have used it at Upton Park.

From a corner, Liverpool goalkeeper Mignolet grabs the high ball. Just after he has laid hands on it, in fly the flailing limbs of Andy Carroll. First Carroll swipes Mignolet on the head, which loosens his grasp on the ball and for good measure Carroll thumps the keeper's arm to ensure he drops the ball. The ball drops and West Ham tuck it away to equalise for what could have been a goal that had a direct effect on the league title race.

Taylor clearly sees nothing amiss and awards the goal, not spotting immediately that his assistant - with a much better view - is flagging furiously. Taylor changes direction and runs over to the assistant. A prolonged conversation results in the goal standing.

So hang on a sec lads - if a young referee can think to decide responsibility for watching a goalkeeper, why can't our elite officials?

So not only was the wrong decision given, the whole process was messy and Taylor's control of the game was weakened.

These days there really are three referees. The two assistants are given responsibility for a section of the pitch running from the half way line to about 20 yards in from the touch line. Penalties, it is usually understood, will be the call of the referee alone. A referee does not appreciate seeing a flag waving furiously when he has already given his decision.

And thinking about it, there's no need for such measures when they're all miked up. All the assistant had to do was talk into his mike and Taylor would have been able to make a judgement call.

In general, having assistants make more decisions works well. It enables the referee to move more towards the side of the pitch where there is no assistant. Players don't usually notice the subtle approach and commentators on TV clearly have little idea to what extent assistants give decisions.

But on Sunday in east London, the system - or rather the men running the system - failed, while a day earlier a few miles away in South London it worked just fine, because communications were good.