Solution ? Spend some of the money that gushes around football these days to recruit good candidates, train to a high standard, pay good wages, and properly manage referees. Maybe bring in some Rugby people to run it. Frankly, we the people who pay good money, are seriously let down by the (self serving) FA.
Yesterday's Stoke v Swansea game highlighted the issue. A penalty is quite rightly given for holding against Stoke. But other instances, including a blatant shirt pull on Crouch is missed.
For that reason, refs will always err on the side of caution and not give penalties for something that when it occurs outside the box is given every single time.
Agreed. Has anyone ever seen an over-head kick goal disallowed for a high boot? (having spent a Sunday in hospital as a result of one of these, I'm not a fan....)
how about a 'Sharia Law solution' .. any player penalised for blatant holding or shirt pulling shall have the offending arm chopped off by the fourth official, on the pitch at half or full time depending on when the transgression occurred
Anyone who saw the Bradford v Sheffield United match will now realise that judo has become an integral part of defending - and as evidenced by the ref shaking his head, this is now allowable as long as it occurs IN the penalty box:
So there you have it. Two years on from my original suggestion and the Leicester v West Ham match is a typical example of the farcical situations we see week in week out at set pieces. How many times over the years have we seen Huth manhandle a forward in the box and nothing is given. One time he even head butted a player and got a a subsequent ban. But is still hasn't stopped him from holding has it?
I would defy anyone using video technology to resolve who is holding who. It just wouldn't work. For that reason it is impossible for a ref to keep an eye on half a dozen pairs of tangled bodies and differentiate. And refs will never give as many penalties as they should because, for every one they do give, there's another dozen in any game which have been penalties too using the same criteria.
This is not rugby and holding a player is a foul. But you wouldn't think so watching the modern game would you?
Pity football didn't follow the same road that rugby has taken where the referee is treated with the greatest of respect and is allowed to apply the laws of the game properly.
Like the proper application of the rule about the scrum half throwing the ball into the scrum along the middle line?
Its a shame that Referees are shite scared of issuing yellow cards left / right and centre for the smallest of decisions to stamp them out of the game.
Provided they're dished out fairly and equally am sure the fans will understand what is being done and won't get on the refs back, its the decisions when a "Leicester" player dives and gets booked yet a "West Ham" player will do the same and get away with it.
I suspect I'm on my own here, but I'd like to see some sort of sin bin arrangement for wrestling and diving.
Nah I agree with that.
The only reason I have any hate for Football is that it seems to have an attitude problem... i.e. It cant take any ideas from other Sports because Football is the best sport on the planet which doesnt need help and to take ideas from Rugby etc. would be beneath it!!
The Leicester v West Ham game yesterday did seem particular poor for the amount of grappling that went on. Both sides.
Gary Mabbutt suggested on the radio today the only way to stop it would be if the first game of the season about 10 players got sent off for it. I have a lot of time for that approach but I suspect that its so ingrained in the game now we would regularly end up watching 9 a side games and ref's would come under enormous pressure to look the other way before players change what they've been doing since they were kids.
Cant believe Wright and Shearers comments about the ref - having a go at him for making good decisions - having a go at him because this is the 34rd game of the season, so why punish fouls now ? - what a load of bollox ! They were fouls ! - this sort of stuff is disgusting and is a real stain of football right now. Its a foul - so give the appropriate punishment !
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metro.co.uk/2014/10/19/referee-somehow-doesnt-award-the-most-obvious-penalty-in-history-during-bradford-city-v-sheffield-united-4911551/
I would defy anyone using video technology to resolve who is holding who. It just wouldn't work. For that reason it is impossible for a ref to keep an eye on half a dozen pairs of tangled bodies and differentiate. And refs will never give as many penalties as they should because, for every one they do give, there's another dozen in any game which have been penalties too using the same criteria.
This is not rugby and holding a player is a foul. But you wouldn't think so watching the modern game would you?
I agree.
Provided they're dished out fairly and equally am sure the fans will understand what is being done and won't get on the refs back, its the decisions when a "Leicester" player dives and gets booked yet a "West Ham" player will do the same and get away with it.
The only reason I have any hate for Football is that it seems to have an attitude problem... i.e. It cant take any ideas from other Sports because Football is the best sport on the planet which doesnt need help and to take ideas from Rugby etc. would be beneath it!!
Gary Mabbutt suggested on the radio today the only way to stop it would be if the first game of the season about 10 players got sent off for it. I have a lot of time for that approach but I suspect that its so ingrained in the game now we would regularly end up watching 9 a side games and ref's would come under enormous pressure to look the other way before players change what they've been doing since they were kids.
any pullin' or pushin' and you'll get a pop fam.
bit of clearing up for the ground staff after the game with bodies strewn about the pitch but we need drastic action to sort this problem out.