Trevor Kettle defends 'integrity' of Indian referees amid recent controversial decisions

Trevor Kettle, the former Premier League referee shares his thoughts on recent on-field controversies.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) Chief Refereeing Officer (CRO), Trevor Kettle, recently addressed concerns surrounding refereeing standards in Indian football on Monday. As part of the press conference, Kettle aimed towards weeding out fact from fiction and provided clarifications regarding recent decisions from both the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League games.

During the press conference, the ex-Premier League referee aimed to clear the air about alleged biases and mistakes while reaffirming the federation’s trust in Indian referees.

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for Indian referees in both ISL and I-League games, with questionable decisions in notable games.

Trevor Kettle defends ‘integrity’ of Indian referees

The AIFF’s CRO acknowledged that clubs often express dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions. Clubs like East Bengal FC and Punjab FC have voiced out their concerns in recent weeks, especially the former after the Kolkata Derby, where they felt they weren’t awarded a clear-cut penalty.

While attributing the discontentment to the intense competitive nature of the game, Kettle highlighted that each of those decisions are reviewed by the Key Match Incident Review Panel (KMIRP). He dismissed claims of negative bias, emphasizing that there was no favouritism by the Indian referees. Trevor Kettle stated, “The integrity of our referees is intact. There is no deliberate action to favour or harm any team.”

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Refereeing standards have improved since Kettle’s arrival

Highlighting advancements during his tenure, Kettle pointed out that refereeing errors have significantly reduced. He pointed out that before his arrival in India in October 2022, the standards of refereeing were not up to the mark.

He credited this to improved training and robust evaluation systems including one of his initiatives i.e. the Key Match Incident Review Panel, a panel comprising of three former FIFA match officials and two AFC match officials. This panel reviews controversial decisions and ensures accountability without compromising the referees’ credibility.

Trevor Kettle expanded on the panel’s role stating, “The accuracy of Key Match Incident (KMI) decisions is now being accurately monitored as the prime indicator of refereeing performance with a reach target of 85%. Interestingly, the results of the pre-season Head Coach survey on referees, on average, expected an accuracy of 82.5% without the aid of VAR technology.”

Indian referees could be part of exchange programmes in the future

While answering the question of bringing foreign referees to India, Kettle firmly ruled out the possibility. He stated, “There is no interest in hiring foreign referees. We believe in the talent and potential of our officials. Instead of importing expertise, we are focused on developing our own.”

Trevor Kettle also went on to mention ongoing exchange programs by other countries with associations worldwide. While he conceded that it would provide valuable exposure and learning opportunities for Indian referees, he also highlighted that errors from these referees can complicate the process.

He did reveal talks with the English Football Association (FA) are ongoing with regards to exchange programs at the lower league levels in the UK for training Indian referees. Such collaborations in the future could not only enhance the skill set of Indian referees, but also enable them to adapt to different footballing environments. 

Mistakes by Indian referees are ‘human’

Despite these advancements, Kettle acknowledged that clubs would continue to complain, but also reiterated that referees are also human beings. He stated, “In such a passionate sport, emotions do run high. But we are committed to improving refereeing standards and ensuring fairness on the pitch.”  

He even stated that while India doesn’t have the funds to implement VAR systems at this point in time, he assured that AIFF is working towards bringing forth alternative solutions. The ex-Premier League referee acknowledges that while there are some minor leagues in India using VAR-esque systems, the federation’s commitment is towards improving Indian referees rather than using the VAR technology, that they currently can’t afford.

The former English referee’s press conference dispelled Indian clubs and their fans claims of non-accountability on part of the AIFF. While the Indian football’s apex body’s proactive approach to addressing refereeing challenges are being questioned, errors by referees are statistically within the margin of error.

With structured review mechanisms revealed by Kettle and his team, Indian referees continue to remain in the spotlight. As the AIFF hopes to push the game forward in India, it is critical that the structure is operational and credible to help Indian football achieve excellence in the years to come.

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