The general census of opinion is that probably 80% of British referees run right wings, as is confirmed by the groundsman, who continually have to repair these areas at the end of each season. The diagonal system of control for referees was introduced by Sir Stanley Rous, a future president of FIFA in 1934 and up until the late 1980's it was expected that referees would alternate their linesmen in each half. But around this time FIFA agreed that the referee should be allowed to run which ever diagonal he was more comfortable with and so now a linesman will stay in the same position throughout the match. The usual theory associated with which diagonal the referee runs, is whether he is left or right handed. As more people are right handed, more referees run right wings.
