As with any other sport,
some players will cheat in order to gain an advantage, and the only
way to prevent this is appropriate punishment. Time-wasting is an
example of this that could be removed by the change to time keeping
procedures I suggested in Part One, but
others, such as diving (or "simulation" as FIFA calls it), and not
retreating ten yards for a free kick remain prevalent throughout
the game despite attempts by the governing bodies to stamp them
out.
Looking at the latter issue in particular, the English FA sought
to combat players preventing quick free kicks by allowing the referee
to move the free kick forward ten yards if such an infringement
took place. Unfortunately, although the principle was correct, the
implementation was not sufficiently thought through. Firstly, referees
are forced to book a player in order to implement the rule, and
many referees are reluctant to do so unless there are repeat offenders.
Secondly, when close to the 18 yard area, moving the ball forward
can sometimes penalise the attacking team as there is less room
to get the ball over the wall and down low enough to hit the target.
I would advocate a similar rule to that employed in rugby union.
If players don't retreat 10 yards immediately, the referee simply
moves the ball forward - no other action is taken. Additionally,
I believe the attacking team should have the option not to move
the full 10 yards (or not to move it at all).
The other thing that we can learn from rugby union is that players
do not generally contest decisions. This is because only the captain
is allowed to do this, and if other players speak out of turn, the
referee has the power to move the ball forward ten yards or even
give a penalty.
It would be a significant culture change for footballers, and referees,
but I believe that there should be a rule that only the captain
is allowed to ask the referee for a clarification of a decision,
and any show of dissent should result in the ball being moved closer
to the opposition goal. It is true that the action is much more
centralised in rugby so that the captain will invariably be within
earshot of the referee, but I'm sure some sort of mechanism can
be devised to allow the captain the chance to consult with the referee,
especially if my recommendation on stopping the clock can be brought
in.
The other area relating to on-field discipline that I believe needs
to be reviewed is that of red and yellow cards. For example, I find
it hard to accept that a player can be sent off for scoring two
goals but being a little over zealous in his celebration on each
occasion. It seems incredulous that committing a potentially career-threatening
foul on a fellow professional and removing your shirt after scoring
a goal can result in the same punishment. The rules also allow players
to commit "good" fouls. For example, cynically fouling a player
late on in a tight game to prevent a breakaway may result in a yellow
card for the offender, but the attacking team gains no real advantage
because the effect of the booking will not be felt until a later
game when a suspension may kick in.
It is my belief that football should take a leaf out of the rule
books from a number of other sports and introduce a sin bin. Blatant
cheating or moderate foul play that would nowadays result in a yellow
card, should see the offender sent from the field, to a neutral
area, for a period of time determined by the referee that could
vary depending on the seriousness of the offence. This would punish
the player and the team in the game the offence took place.
For lesser offences, a caution system could still work but without
the automatic sending off for two minor transgressions. Personally,
I think being booked for over-celebrating is ridiculous unless there
is some form of serious enticement of opposing fans.
Critics may argue that with a sin bin there is no opportunity to
appeal, but we have the same situation with red cards today - the
suspension may be overturned but the player is still punished in
the game itself. It is simply a matter of improving the standard
of refereeing to reduce the number of mistakes.
The FA did announce in September that it was to investigate the
viability of a sin bin, although I've heard nothing since. I do
hope that this measure is brought in, because I believe that it
could cut out a lot of cheating if properly implemented.
In my opinion, these changes to the discipline during the game,
plus the extended use of video evidence after a game that I suggested
in Part Two, could have a major positive
impact on football both in its fairness, and its image.
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