Not content with imposing VAR on elite football, the International Football Association Board (Ifab) has decided to roll out sin-bins for cynical fouls and serious dissent. Despite having multiple seasons to perfect the use of VAR, the powers that be have failed miserably. Now, we face the prospect of another minefield of reffing ballix to deal with.
On the face of it it seems like a reasonable proposition. Refs in the amateur game are worried that dissent is getting worse and believe that dissent in the elite game is trickling down. And cycnical fouls, most frequently the stopping of counter-attacks by tripping or pulling back the attacker are highly frustrating. Man City's Fernandinho was a prolific offender in "taking one for the team", but it is now an accepted part of the game, yet the maximum sentence available to refs is a yellow card. Now refs may have the possibility of a blue card.
So, I do see why refs are eager to cut out serious dissent and the cynical fouls that spoil the game, however I have zero confidence in the success of sin-bins given the track record of elite football's referees.
The most frequent criticism of referees that I have heard in my 50 years watching footy is inconsistency. Time after time they are guilty. The latest one is the yellow card for kicking the ball away.
At the start of the season, to much fanfare, refs told us that there would be an automatic yellow for time wasting. On the first few weeks there were numerous examples of cards being wielded for players kicking the ball a few yards after conceding a free-kick in order to give themselves a few seconds to get back to defend. That all seems to have gone out the window. We also see handballs given in games, but an exact copy not given in a different game. All par for the course.
What will certainly happen if sin-bins are introduced is that the team temporarily down to 10 men will waste time and "park the bus" until their man has returned. Footballers will always abuse the rules to win at all costs. Look how they abuse the head injury law to stop games, usually during a counter-attack. The are abusing a law that was introduced for their well-being. They don't care. So, we can expect all sorts of shananigans to hold up play until their sin-binned colleague returns.
Also, what happens when a genuine attempt to tackle an attacker during a counter-attack is a fraction of a second late resulting in a foul?
My guess is that will depend on where the game is being played. Old Trafford won't see many given against Man U.
Another thing to consider is that often these fouls are context dependent. On Sunday, West Ham broke up two Arsenal counter-attacks with fouls, but received no yellow cards as they were 0-6 down at the time. If it had been 0-0 it would have been very different. So in future do all these fouls automatically get yellows? The only thing certain to come from blue cards is more inconsistency.
Ange Postecoglou had it right when he said that other sports were trying to speed up and simplify their games when football seems to be headed in the opposite direction, “Just bin the whole idea, forget about it. I don’t know why they keep interjecting themselves into the game”. And ain't that the truth! Refs seem to be making the game more and more about them.
Apparently, the English F.A. are for the idea and want to trial it in the F.A. Cup, while UEFA are dead against it and have said it will not be trialed in elite football in Europe. I'm with Ange on this one.
Fingers crossed that this one never sees the light of day.
On the face of it it seems like a reasonable proposition. Refs in the amateur game are worried that dissent is getting worse and believe that dissent in the elite game is trickling down. And cycnical fouls, most frequently the stopping of counter-attacks by tripping or pulling back the attacker are highly frustrating. Man City's Fernandinho was a prolific offender in "taking one for the team", but it is now an accepted part of the game, yet the maximum sentence available to refs is a yellow card. Now refs may have the possibility of a blue card.
So, I do see why refs are eager to cut out serious dissent and the cynical fouls that spoil the game, however I have zero confidence in the success of sin-bins given the track record of elite football's referees.
The most frequent criticism of referees that I have heard in my 50 years watching footy is inconsistency. Time after time they are guilty. The latest one is the yellow card for kicking the ball away.
At the start of the season, to much fanfare, refs told us that there would be an automatic yellow for time wasting. On the first few weeks there were numerous examples of cards being wielded for players kicking the ball a few yards after conceding a free-kick in order to give themselves a few seconds to get back to defend. That all seems to have gone out the window. We also see handballs given in games, but an exact copy not given in a different game. All par for the course.
What will certainly happen if sin-bins are introduced is that the team temporarily down to 10 men will waste time and "park the bus" until their man has returned. Footballers will always abuse the rules to win at all costs. Look how they abuse the head injury law to stop games, usually during a counter-attack. The are abusing a law that was introduced for their well-being. They don't care. So, we can expect all sorts of shananigans to hold up play until their sin-binned colleague returns.
Also, what happens when a genuine attempt to tackle an attacker during a counter-attack is a fraction of a second late resulting in a foul?
My guess is that will depend on where the game is being played. Old Trafford won't see many given against Man U.
Another thing to consider is that often these fouls are context dependent. On Sunday, West Ham broke up two Arsenal counter-attacks with fouls, but received no yellow cards as they were 0-6 down at the time. If it had been 0-0 it would have been very different. So in future do all these fouls automatically get yellows? The only thing certain to come from blue cards is more inconsistency.
Ange Postecoglou had it right when he said that other sports were trying to speed up and simplify their games when football seems to be headed in the opposite direction, “Just bin the whole idea, forget about it. I don’t know why they keep interjecting themselves into the game”. And ain't that the truth! Refs seem to be making the game more and more about them.
Apparently, the English F.A. are for the idea and want to trial it in the F.A. Cup, while UEFA are dead against it and have said it will not be trialed in elite football in Europe. I'm with Ange on this one.
Fingers crossed that this one never sees the light of day.
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| Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports |
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Alonso's Boys are faves to win the Bundesliga ; but expect a few more twists & turns . Reds game V City next month looks pivotal to the title outcome . Will the Gunners fly under the radar & break a 20 yr wait ?
ReplyDeleteThey brought VAR in and it slowed the game down. Now this pish?
ReplyDeleteIf the refs are so worried about dissent have them wired up and recording. Make dissent a one match ban in a game that follows against one of the top 6 sides. That'll stop dissent. Blue cards are going to create a worse product.