Player Power versus Referee Authority
Discussion
Was at Emirates yesterday and there was more than one reason to look closely at the role the referee played.
Martin Atkinson was poor. One of his decisions was overruled by VAR and he struggled to get hold of matters after that. When Xhaka casually walked off, Atkinson gestured towards his watch in the same way he did when all the fans booed the Palace keeper's slow goalkicks.
Player power v referee authority. An added minute doesn't mean anything to the majority of players. Add to this the crowd getting on the Atkinson's back... A tough job by any standard.
Earlier in the day, by son (who was with me at the game) played for his team which I manage. There were some refereeing moments which got a reaction but the moment my players turned to the referee, I was on them. I will not allow it. It's partly my rugby discipline but it is also how kids should behave in life, I believe: respect.
I'd like to go on and give many more examples but some sterner rules in the referee book would make some well needed changes in how the player(s) behave on the pitch. Much of this should start with the clubs and their managers.
Martin Atkinson was poor. One of his decisions was overruled by VAR and he struggled to get hold of matters after that. When Xhaka casually walked off, Atkinson gestured towards his watch in the same way he did when all the fans booed the Palace keeper's slow goalkicks.
Player power v referee authority. An added minute doesn't mean anything to the majority of players. Add to this the crowd getting on the Atkinson's back... A tough job by any standard.
Earlier in the day, by son (who was with me at the game) played for his team which I manage. There were some refereeing moments which got a reaction but the moment my players turned to the referee, I was on them. I will not allow it. It's partly my rugby discipline but it is also how kids should behave in life, I believe: respect.
I'd like to go on and give many more examples but some sterner rules in the referee book would make some well needed changes in how the player(s) behave on the pitch. Much of this should start with the clubs and their managers.
There is no reason why football refs shouldn't get the same level of respect as rugby refs. Just needs the will of the authorities to make it happen. It wouldn't take long to make it work. When the 3rd player had been sent off for dissent 10 mins into the Community Shield, even the thickest players will get the message.
Yep. We've also seen clear incidences of simulation which haven't been sorted out by VAR so by and large players will still go down easily.
It could so easily be nearly eradicated from the game but it won't be if they continue in this manner. Odoi got booked for simulation against Burnley because it was inside the box and the ref initially awarded the penalty.
Now if that had happened outside the box it probably wouldn't have been reviewed, and the Burnley player probably would have been given a yellow card (we saw that with Tomori on Henderson (Chelsea v Liverpool) where there was no contact but Tomori still got punished with a yellow card). When in fact it should have been Henderson who picked up the yellow.
It could so easily be nearly eradicated from the game but it won't be if they continue in this manner. Odoi got booked for simulation against Burnley because it was inside the box and the ref initially awarded the penalty.
Now if that had happened outside the box it probably wouldn't have been reviewed, and the Burnley player probably would have been given a yellow card (we saw that with Tomori on Henderson (Chelsea v Liverpool) where there was no contact but Tomori still got punished with a yellow card). When in fact it should have been Henderson who picked up the yellow.
This came up on a Spurs Forum after commented that i was embarrassed at the way Kane held his face after a tackle when it was clear the arm may have only brushed his chin
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After watching the rugby world cup, and seeing players get absolutely slammed then stand straight up again, I think the time has come for authorities to truly stamp the blight of modern footballers acting like they've been shot at the merest touch,
Any player seen clutching his face when it's clearly evident he hasn't been touched should be sent off, of if the ref misses it, get a retrospective ban.
Any player throwing himself along the ground - same. If you're truly hurt the last thing you do is roll around.
Any player seen to fall on the floor, then get up and run at fall pelt when he doesn't get awarded a free kick - same again.
It would take weeks not years to stamp it out of the game. The play acting is embarrassing. I don't know how players can look at themselves in the mirror.
I wrote back
That is in my dreams, but it will never ever happen for one reason. I dont know if anyone remembers the clampdown on abusive language years ago. Worked for about three weeks and then the managers complained that the fans had come to see the players not the refs. In effect condoning the actions. The new guidelines were binneda
Until you get a complete overhaul of FIFA EUFA thr FA and most if not all of the other authorities to have the balls to put rules and penalties in place to stamp it out, the same bleating will apply, BUT now we have big business calling the tune, and money talks more than ethics.
Imagine FA and PL do an overhaul of rules. Sky says we dont like it and threaten to pull out clubs start crying they will go out of business and authority relents, the rolling diving shirt pulling goes on
But here is the sad thing the rules are already there in effect esp for time wasting eg the 6 sec goalkeeper rule. It isn't a VAR thing it is absolute yet what happened the snowflake refs,and do SFA, look the other way and in the 85th minute give the goalkeeper a yellow card.look back at the Watford game, Forster being a prime example of a master of the art, and even with subs it was deemed only 4min extra he must have wasted 2-3 minutes on his own. A travesty. Enforce that from the start and it helps. Manager who moan that he loses his no 1 is politely told to tell him to read the rules.
Likewise the clock is run by an off field ref and stops it whenever the ball goes out of play behind the goal line. Starting again when it is kicked. The problem is solved at a goes.it works in other sports why not football. At the moment is it a 21c game run by 19c rules applied by 20c idiots ( the suits in charge)
Only it will never happen.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
There is no reason why football refs shouldn't get the same level of respect as rugby refs. Just needs the will of the authorities to make it happen. It wouldn't take long to make it work. When the 3rd player had been sent off for dissent 10 mins into the Community Shield, even the thickest players will get the message.
Exactly. Dissent and lack of respect is the easiest issue to sort out. The only reason it hasn't been is that they don't want it sorted out.chow pan toon said:
Exactly. Dissent and lack of respect is the easiest issue to sort out. The only reason it hasn't been is that they don't want it sorted out.
it's the only reason I can think of, I'll freely admit that I'm not a footie fan but on the odd occasion I do catch 5 minutes and see the antics of the players haranguing the ref. IMO it should be "step back or you'll be sent off" sharp whistle "you were warned - off" rinse and repeat. Even the mostest stupider of footballists would get the message by the 3rd or 4th week.... wouldn't they?Would love to see rugby levels of respect the ref enforced. It would be chaos for a couple of weeks.
Perhaps football should employ ex-rugby forwards as refs. Their average physical presence would shut most footballers up.
On a side note - football doesn't broadcast the ref/VAR conversation like rugby does, does it? Would be an interesting addition to the TV experience. Of course footballers (and secondary, fans in tight stadiums) are the reason there is no way ref mics can be broadcast.
Perhaps football should employ ex-rugby forwards as refs. Their average physical presence would shut most footballers up.
On a side note - football doesn't broadcast the ref/VAR conversation like rugby does, does it? Would be an interesting addition to the TV experience. Of course footballers (and secondary, fans in tight stadiums) are the reason there is no way ref mics can be broadcast.
Don Veloci said:
Would love to see rugby levels of respect the ref enforced. It would be chaos for a couple of weeks.
Perhaps football should employ ex-rugby forwards as refs. Their average physical presence would shut most footballers up.
On a side note - football doesn't broadcast the ref/VAR conversation like rugby does, does it? Would be an interesting addition to the TV experience. Of course footballers (and secondary, fans in tight stadiums) are the reason there is no way ref mics can be broadcast.
Don't know, but they did at Emirates last night. Sounded like it shouldn't have been on. One minute we're celebrating/cheering, two minutes later we were hearing a discussion over the tannoy. Wallop. Perhaps football should employ ex-rugby forwards as refs. Their average physical presence would shut most footballers up.
On a side note - football doesn't broadcast the ref/VAR conversation like rugby does, does it? Would be an interesting addition to the TV experience. Of course footballers (and secondary, fans in tight stadiums) are the reason there is no way ref mics can be broadcast.
Unfortunately, despite everything I've said I've remembered about the great Willie Collum giving that penalty against Chris Smalling in the Europa League.
While something like that is allowed to stand at that level does the whole system deserve any respect? Why didn't anyone have a word in his ear and would've taken the ref 30 seconds to check a monitor.
While something like that is allowed to stand at that level does the whole system deserve any respect? Why didn't anyone have a word in his ear and would've taken the ref 30 seconds to check a monitor.
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