News Focus
- Referees at the World Cup 2026 qualifiers are allowing more physical contact during matches
- A Scottish writer compares the officiating favourably against his domestic league experience
- Only two major errors have been identified in the matches observed so far
- France were denied a penalty against Senegal but still secured a comfortable victory
- South Africa benefited from a controversial penalty decision against Czechia
A football writer has praised match officials at the World Cup 2026 qualifying stage for their practical approach to the game. The observer, who watches the Scottish Premiership regularly, says referees are allowing proper contact during challenges.
The writer notes that fans are seeing fewer whistles for heavy tackles. This is different from what he expects in the Scottish league. There, he says, referees often stop play for physical contact that should be legal.
So far, the writer can only remember two clear mistakes. The first happened when France played Senegal. The referee did not give France a penalty. However, this did not matter because France won the match easily anyway.
The second mistake came in the match between South Africa and Czechia. The referee gave South Africa a penalty. The writer says he does not mind this error because it helped Scotland, his home country, to get a point from the game.
Overall, the writer gives full marks to the referees. He believes they are doing a good job by letting the players play and understanding that football is a contact sport.