Referees have a tough time of it most of the time. They are rarely praised for making the right decision, and always slated when they make a mistake. There are even times when they make the right calls and people still aren't happy.
Even the best referees make mistakes, so when Howard Webb made quite a blunder in the World Cup final in 2010, people were very quick to point it out.
So quick in fact, that Webb found out about his blunder in the dressing room at half-time. Speaking on BT Sport's Fletch and Sav show, the former referee recalled how his police officer friend told him how bad it was:
"It's not a red card, it's an arrestable offence!" @HowardMWebb recalls infamous Nigel de Jong tackle. #FletchAndSav https://t.co/oalVHvo3ql
— Fletch And Sav (@FletchAndSav) January 2, 2016
It's interesting to note that referees are checking their phones at half-time in games, especially when it informs them of events in the game they are officiating in. There were significantly more yellow cards after Webb checked his phone, but in that physical game it probably makes sense.
