Former Premiership referee Jeff Winter says the standard of officiating in the top flight is not good enough.
Wigan boss Paul Jewell called for more consistency from match officials after blaming his side's defeat by Arsenal on Sunday on referee Phil Dowd.
And Winter told BBC Five Live Sport: "The problem is that there are not enough top quality officials.
"The system is not working perfectly and there is not the quality that should be there in the Premiership."
He added: "We do have referees like Mark Clattenberg, Howard Webb and Martin Atkinson, who are a newer, younger breed that are coming through and are doing very well.
"So I wouldn't say all refereeing is bad but obviously it can improve.
"But what also needs improving is the behaviour of the players. The antics and diving of the players is making it difficult for even the best referees - Pierluigi Collina would struggle in the Premiership."
Jewell was left fuming after Dowd denied Emile Heskey a seemingly clear penalty with Wigan leading 1-0.
And the Latics boss also felt Mathieu Flamini was offside in the build-up for the Gunners' equaliser.
However, Winter says using video evidence to try to clear up contentious incidents would create more problems.
He stated: "Say you have got an appeal at one end of the field that rightly or wrongly the referee says is not a penalty.
"The game continues and within a matter of seconds at the other end the other side score.
"Let's say we have stopped that game to study video evidence - and the referee is proven to be right, it is not a penalty.
"How do you restart the game? The team that scored cannot then counter-attack and catch Wigan on the break and score.
"If you are going to stop for every decision you may as well not have a referee out there and just have a jury of experts in the stands itemising every throw-in and free-kick."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foot...em/6356467.stm
Wigan boss Paul Jewell called for more consistency from match officials after blaming his side's defeat by Arsenal on Sunday on referee Phil Dowd.
And Winter told BBC Five Live Sport: "The problem is that there are not enough top quality officials.
"The system is not working perfectly and there is not the quality that should be there in the Premiership."
He added: "We do have referees like Mark Clattenberg, Howard Webb and Martin Atkinson, who are a newer, younger breed that are coming through and are doing very well.
"So I wouldn't say all refereeing is bad but obviously it can improve.
"But what also needs improving is the behaviour of the players. The antics and diving of the players is making it difficult for even the best referees - Pierluigi Collina would struggle in the Premiership."
Jewell was left fuming after Dowd denied Emile Heskey a seemingly clear penalty with Wigan leading 1-0.
And the Latics boss also felt Mathieu Flamini was offside in the build-up for the Gunners' equaliser.
However, Winter says using video evidence to try to clear up contentious incidents would create more problems.
He stated: "Say you have got an appeal at one end of the field that rightly or wrongly the referee says is not a penalty.
"The game continues and within a matter of seconds at the other end the other side score.
"Let's say we have stopped that game to study video evidence - and the referee is proven to be right, it is not a penalty.
"How do you restart the game? The team that scored cannot then counter-attack and catch Wigan on the break and score.
"If you are going to stop for every decision you may as well not have a referee out there and just have a jury of experts in the stands itemising every throw-in and free-kick."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foot...em/6356467.stm
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