PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo reiterated that the first referee and the line judge involved in the controversial Creamline-Petro Gazz semis match-up are not suspended but have been reassigned for the remainder of the 2024 All-Filipino Conference.
“They will be reassigned until the end of the conference lang. Like I said, walang suspended. But for the rest of the conference, which is a few games to go, ano naman… Marami ring kaming pool eh, so papaikot lang talaga ng tao,” said Malonzo.
Last Thursday, Bobby Celso – who served as the first referee for the Angels-Cool Smashers match – found himself in the middle of a social media storm after a controversial call late in the third set of the crucial semis encounter.
With the game tied at 25, Alyssa Valdez went for an attack against the defense of MJ Phillips and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas. However, the ball went out, prompting Celso to award the point to Petro Gazz.
However, the line judge signaled a ball touch, which forced Celso to reverse his first call. He gave the point to the Cool Smashers, who eventually won the set and the game in four sets, 27-25, 23-25, 27-25, 26-24.
(C) Joaqui Flores/PVL
Malonzo said that he saw no mistake in the entire process, saying that Celso trusted his judgment and listened to the line judge who saw the ball touch.
However, Malonzo believes that the first official could have handled the situation differently.
He said that a referee’s challenge should have been called to remove any doubts shrouding the controversial call.
“Let’s talk about mechanics. After the point, after napalo ‘yung bola na outside, in-award niya sa Petro. But because of an assist by the line judge, he reversed his call. Tama rin naman ‘yun, mechanics ‘yun. So, in-award niya sa Creamline. Syempre andoon na ‘yung uproar. Nataon din na wala ng challenge ‘yung Petro, so hindi ma-challenge ni Petro ‘yung check ball, ‘yung ball touch,” said Malonzo.
“From my technical point of view, walang mali na nangyari. So moving forward, ang nakita ko lang na, I’m not saying na mali siya, but kasi ang sinasabi ni Petro dapat in-award na lang sa amin para mag challenge si Creamline, mali pa rin ‘yun kasi judgement ni referee at may nag-assist sa kaniya na nakita ‘yung check ball,” he continued.
“Ito naman si referee, nag-base doon sa assist, at the same time, ang isa pang sinabi sa kanya is dapat chinallenge mo ‘yung sarili mo to review. Technically, discretion din ni first referee ‘yun kung gusto niya i-challenge or hindi. Sa tingin niya hindi naman dapat i-challenge kasi sure siya sa call ng kanyang line judge.”
Malonzo said that he is already in talks with referee supervisor Jeff Lopez as the league looks to avoid the same thing from happening again moving forward.
“So ano ‘yan, talagang every assistance na pwedeng makuha, kailangan talaga. And video challenge, the challenge system is one equipment that can help reduce the doubt doon sa tawag niya.”
