With the standard of the PSL referees seemingly going down each week, former match official Victor Hlungwani has revealed why.
Mistakes from referees or bad interpretation of the law or oversight, have become commonplace for referees in the PSL.
If high level games hardly finish without any controversy, matches that don't command a lot of interest experience a lot of bad refereeing.
The frequent nature the PSL referees make mistakes is that they can no longer be trusted, with coaches the most frustrated on the bench.
Hlungwani has revealed that during his days, what made the referees to be of high level quality was the proper induction, where a new official had to start below a division, in the National First Division for a number of years, before they could be promoted to the Premiership.
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And even after being promoted, it was difficult to get high profile matches as a new referee, as those games were assigned to experienced match officials.
"(In our days), to break in there was very difficult, (the same way) with the big teams Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, where you had top players. To break into that team (of PSL referees) for a youngster was not easy," Hlungwani revealed on Smash Sports YouTube Channel.
"The same principle applies to referees team, where you have to be introduced gradually in order to learn. (In recent years) we had a change (of guard), where we had new referees coming in, introduced quickly into the system without proper (experience).
"You know when you've done four years in the NFD, (when) you get to PSL you can do any game without pressure. But (these days) you come this year, the following year or the same year you get a Premiership game and a high level game, surely you're going to crack!?" Hlungwani exclaimed.
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The widespread suggestions that the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) could improve the quality of refereeing in the PSL is misguided, judging from Hlungwane's revelations.
Because if the standard of refereeing was better in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, the introduction of VAR alone would not be able to solve the issues.