FIFA scrap new 'replay' policy

World Cup organisers today scrapped their policy of showing replays of controversial incidents on giant screens inside stadiums in Korea and Japan.

At the start of the tournament, FIFA president Sepp Blatter had decided the screens should carry the same 'warts and all' replays as those shown to television viewers at home.

But the reaction of fans to controversial incidents and refereeing decisions has forced FIFA into a re-think.

FIFA communications director Keith Cooper said: "In an ideal world it would be best to show all the replays but experience is beginning to show that this is not always prudent. A system is being put into place to direct what things go on the screen.

"We are making sure that what is best for the game is put into practice. Spectators are entitled to get some kind of service but if there is a safety or security risk involved we do give that priority. We will adapt the system to go back to a form of selectivity and more controlled circumstances than before.

"We will still show the great events but we will not show somebody committing a vicious foul.''

There were no problems with early games in the World Cup, though controversial incidents were not shown during England's match with Sweden.

Since then however, there have been matches where crowds have reacted to bad challenges, free-kick awards and offside decisions. There have even been incidents with players trying to direct a referee's attention to big-screen replays.

Now an official from FIFA, or the Japanese and Korean football associations, will work with broadcast technicians to decide which scenes are replayed.

Cooper added: "I don't think the president would say he was totally wrong but he was at a match recently where he did acknowledge that it would be wiser to take a step backwards, and that is being put into place today.''