Story by REDintern Christy. Pictures by REDintern Teo Zhijia
National Inter-School A Division Boys Floorball Championship: Tampines Sports Complex, Wednesday, July 16, 2008 – It was a highly anticipated game in which last season’s first runner-up Raffles Junior College (RJC) and second runner-up Victoria Junior College (VJC) battled to reign at the top of the league table. Ultimately, both teams, equally matched in skills and stamina were held to a deserving draw of two-all.
In the first period, energy was on a all-time high for both teams as they were going all out to secure a win. Nonetheless, despite the intense game, both goalkeepers managed to keep their wits and made a couple of good saves, keeping the score clean for both sides. Credit must also be given to RJC Jeremy Tan (#13) who played a mean game, thwarting any VJC’s players that came near the goal. The first period ended in stalemate.
After a hard fought first period, the second period started out just as furious. Nonetheless, RJC Anandraj (#15) managed to find an opening to score as a quick pass by his team mate allowed him to slot in the goal. The VJC goalkeeper who had slided to the wrong side in a bid to save the ball could only watch on helplessly as the ball went in. It was only a short-lived joy for RJC as less than two minutes later, VJC Mohammad Fauzan (#17) sent in a hard and fast ball into the net that caught the RJC goalkeeper unaware and he remained stationary when the ball flew in.
The tense atmosphere continued on to the third period, with both teams looking for a goal to seal off the match. In a game where both teams were evenly matched, it all boiled down to luck in the end. VJC had their stroke of luck when VJC Jonathon Heng (#13) managed to fling in the shot in the 04:48 min. VJC must have thought that lady luck was shining down on them as with less than five minutes to go, one referee called for a penalty for VJC after witnessing a scuffle in the penalty box. However, after further consultation with the other referee, the penalty was changed into a free-hit instead. RJC must really thank their lucky stars as it was the referees’ decision that changed their fate. After successfully foiling the free-hit, RJC players snatched the ball and pushed forward quickly towards the VJC’s net with RJC Terence Ang (#8) sucessfully knocking in the last goal of the game in the 11:05 min, making it 2-all. With this draw, RJC successfully remained at the top of the table with a goal advantage over VJC.
Both teams’ passion for floorball could be felt as despite the countless falls on the slippery floor, the players simply just pluck themselves up and went on with the game, never complaining. It was an exhilarating match with both teams never backing down and giving their all – making both teams deserving winners.
Semi-finals will be held next Monday, 21st July at Tampines Sports Hall:
Meridian Junior College will meet Victoria Junior College at 1400 and
Raffles Junior College will meet Yishun Junior College at 1500
Editors note: If you recognise yourself or your team mates in any of the photos, feel free to leave the names behind in the comments section and we will update the captions accordingly.
Are you the only one allowed to make judgement calls, spectator?
You state
“it’s unfair. and yes, although getting the penalty may not mean that vj will win instead, but so what? the only fact and constant truth is that it’s unfair. disadvantaged and unfair. and they did no wrong to deserve this unfairness/”
If you had stopped there, it would have been fine.
But you continued:
“so stop trying to justify the actions of the referee, christy, because it really seems like you’re not being objective here.”
So you are allowed to make a judgement, and the writer cannot?
Come now spectator, what’s good for the goose is good for gander. Be consistent.
Either both of you are allowed to make judgement calls of what you see or none is. So make your point but leave the writer out of it.
You are upset with the world but your argument is not with her. The cause of your miscontent is not the writer.
“Although I did see the referees conversing with the RJC coach” so don’t you think you should includen that in your article because that’s called reporting the facts and not sensationalising it. deliberating excluding facts you have observed MAY show that you’re being biased and not objective.
“Even in the international games like the World Cup do referees make controversial decisions, so please don’t doubt the calibre of the referees – I am pretty sure they underwent training and know what to do and what not to do” I beg to differ. just because referees in the World Cup make controversial decisions doesn’t mean it’s right to do so. just like, just because you did not state that the referee discussed with the rj coach in your article doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re being biased, it’s just a MAY. so even though they underwent training and know what to do, they’re not gods and is prone to error. so is it wrong for people to spot the mistakes they make? and why should vj pay for the mistake the referee made? it’s unfair. and yes, although getting the penalty may not mean that vj will win instead, but so what? the only fact and constant truth is that it’s unfair. disadvantaged and unfair. and they did no wrong to deserve this unfairness. so stop trying to justify the actions of the referee, christy, because it really seems like you’re not being objective here.
all the best to all teams! hope no more wrong calls/decisions will be made!
at client: “Even if the RJ coach was a professional top-class referee or player, her role then was the coach of one of the teams playing. She was certainly not a referee at that instant.”
actually, the rj coach does happen to be a professional top-class player. in fact, she’s singapore’s top player and top 15 in the world. she is also a certified referee. I feel that even if it was a wrong decision made by the referee to change his call, it is ridiculous to blame the draw on the referee.
“MJC will show them both how good floorball is played (that is if RJC even make the final)”
why the targeting at rj? why not “that is if vjc even make the final”? both teams have proved their calibre in the match.
may the best team win in the coming semis and finals.
A reader by the name of Therese wrote the following comment below:
“I am truly disappointed at his decision, and I think it is queer that this reporter failed to take note of how things REALLY played out.”
Go ahead and share your opinion of calls you deem controversial but don’t impugn the integrity of my writer by using the word “queer”.
She has made the decision to leave it out and we should respect that.
As a reader, you can of course bring it up, but don’t have to take a shot at Christy while you are doing that.
She deserves better.
les
editor
oh yes… I want to add on to the point that if I am not wrong – she should be the teacher-in-charge + coach.
I was at the other end of the court and I didn’t have the chance to see what exactly constituted to the foul. And even if I was near enough – I guess I would have been looking at the ball instead of the player inside the penalty box.
Although I did see the referees conversing with the RJC coach, I don’t believe that this is unprofessional as coaches or managers often argue with the referees over a controversial decision. Anyone part of the game is allowed to try to convince the referee to change their mind. If the coach could convince the referee, it meant that the referee wasn’t so sure of his decision in the first place. Furthermore, there was also any referee present, I am sure he gave his two cents worth too.
Either way, we could not totally blame the draw on the referee as even if the penalty was given, that does not necessary meant that VJC would have won in the end. For all we know, in an alternate universe, a penalty could have been given but VJC might have missed and still allowed RJC to equalize. Or the penalty could have went in but RJC still managed to equalize. The ball is round and anything could have happen. All we can say is that RJC had a stroke of luck.
To Therese especially: I am sorry that I did not report how “things REALLY played out” because I actually did talk to the organizer about the referee’s decision and they respect it. I respect it too. And if you watch professional sports matches, you should see referees talking to coaches, managers or players before making a final decision. Even in the international games like the World Cup do referees make controversial decisions, so please don’t doubt the calibre of the referees – I am pretty sure they underwent training and know what to do and what not to do. And, I am so sorry that I don’t take a sensational and controversial point and make a big fuss out of it. That’s like totally not me. Try reading some other tabloids instead.
Hi RJ17,
You seem to think you know the rules very well. Probably you should be at all matches to correct any wrong calls the refs make. Even if the RJ coach was a professional top-class referee or player, her role then was the coach of one of the teams playing. She was certainly not a referee at that instant.
For your information, external coaches are not allowed to interfere with refs’ decision, protest or even talk to the refs during the match. That’s the job of teachers-in-charge and the teams’ captains. So, what the VJ’s coach didnt do then was probably the appropriate thing. I think you may be referring to the VJ’s teacher not for protesting the decision instead. Maybe you are right, but then again not everybody thinks they know the rules as well as a ‘A’ Div player like you.
@RJ 17
the reason for the cancellation of the penalty is that the further referee shouldn’t be the one calling for ‘in the box’ penalty. Also, the player in the box did not interfere with the play, and that’s the second reason why the penalty was cancelled.
Also, whether the player played the ball out from the box or not doesn’t matter, it’s still a penalty offence for any player(defending team) to be in the box. I hope this will enlighten you about floorball rules.
haha. what’s done is done. vjc has so many talented players, it will be a pity if some of them dont make it to the combined schools team
It is sad and unfortunate that I have to agree with therese’s view. This is after all a national competition, and the referees deployed to each game should be of a suitable calibre. However this is not the case so far, and often if a team is under favoured by a referee, they end up playing two opponents instead; their real opponents and the referees. Anyhow, good luck to all teams in your final push to glory!
In fact, the penalty was a valid one, the referee’s overturning of the decision was a bad one.
This was observed by various floorball coaches watching the game, including the mjc coach who disapproved of the referee’s slack decision.
the referee in question was unprofessional and incompetent, action should be taken against him and a report has been lodged with the singapore floorball association
if VJ loses to MJ in the semis, and Rj wins YJ, the reason for vjc to not make it into the finals wud be the slackness in the ref’s decision
Anyway, the result really doesn’t matter. Both VJC and RJC have not looked at all convincing in their the respective group matches. Although they beat NJC, NYJC and MI by reasonable scorelines, their wins were scrappy.
MJC will show them both how good floorball is played (that is if RJC even make the final)
On the contrary, the only unprofressional thing the referee did was to make the wrong call. The coaches are within their rights to contest decisions. Why do you think the VJ coach did not contest the overturning of the descision? Because the call was changed to the CORRECT call. The offence the ref blew for was that one of RJ’s defenders had his foot in the goalkeeper’s box. The correct call for this is a free hit in front of goal. Instead, the referee blew for a penalty, which only applies if the player who has his foot in the goalkeeper’s box proceedes to play the ball from inside. THAT is a penalty offence. As the RJ coach is a professional referee, she merely corrected the call made by the refs, nothing more. Hope that clears things up.
Hmm not to forget that controversial penalty-to-free hit too… Personally I am disappointed with the referee – it would be understandable if it was just angry shouting at the referee, but to actually have the referee stop the game and to hold a discussion with the coach – it is unprofessional and could be argued to be unfair, biased too.
“However, after further consultation with the other referee, the penalty was changed into a free-hit instead.”
I was at tampines sports hall that day, and I clearly witnessed how things went down at that point of the match. May I just point out that the referee in question, not only held “further consultation with the other referee”, he also had a, at the very least, 2 minute long discussion with the RJ coach. I believe it is fair of me to say that THIS is what prompted him to change his mind about the penalty. And THIS, sorely reflects the ineptitude of that referee (I believe his name, is Cedric).
How can you blow your whistle, make your call, then talk to the opposing team’s coach and change your mind?? IS THIS HOW REFEREES HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO ASSERT THEIR AUTHORITY? This event has led me to seriously doubt the ability and calibre of all referees in this tournament. At the very most, Cedric should have just talked to the RJ captain. When the RJ coach signaled to him to come over, he should have exercised SOME form of professionalism and refused her politely.
I am truly disappointed at his decision, and I think it is queer that this reporter failed to take note of how things REALLY played out.
Good play by both teams anyway, all the best for semis!
Regarding the penalty, I think the external coach interferred with the ref’s decision. Refs should be firm with their decision and fair to both teams.
no.22 is toh cher han. not tor =)
rj #7!
Damm, this was possibly the best floorball game I have ever witnessed. Watching the game from the high chair, I almost leaped and fell off it a few times in my excitement. Good luck for both teams for semis! 🙂