Changing rules in the middle of a competition

[Jacko93]

It absolutely boils my p**s when they don't give a yellow card for players kicking the ball away. It has been a punishable offence for donkeys years, but then they say that this year they are going to 'crack down on it'. There were 2 or 3 occasions yesterday where there were clearly punishable offences of delaying a restart. Once the referees whistle is blown to signify a free kick, dead ball, goal or anything else, if a player from the opposition so much as touches it, just book them, it really is that simple. Kick the ball away, yellow card, prevent the ball making its way to the restart position, yellow card, walk off with the ball in your hand rather than leaving it for the opposition, yellow card. Its just so simple for the referee to do. Instead, Doucoure gets a yellow for reminding the referee of his responsibilities. Disgusting really and pretty much set the tone for the remainder of the game.

 

[Nymzee]

Normally I'd agree but if they start a season with a proper wank rule I'm all for them changing it mid-season and not waiting a whole year.

 

[HowardsWay]

It's not just cheating but the emergence of how football games are now covered. Years ago there might be two or three cameras at a televised game. Not al games were televised. Today there is far more pressure to get the right decision and things are evolving. VAR, in itself is a useful tool but it's how it is implemented by officials that is the big problem.

Eventually it will evolve to a system that everyone can live with but any relatively new system will have teething issues to be resolved.

We make a big play about officials being corrupt but we all know they aren't really. Most officials try to do their best but when their errors are highlighted week after week, then the job becomes much much harder. And, another thing that doesn't help them is the behaviour of players and their reactions to decisions. I was pleased this seemed to be clamped down on but it seems some seems are more expert than others in getting away with this behaviour.

 

[bernie inn]

It feels like the whole sport has a scripted narrative nowadays.

 

[Cassady85]

Pretty sure when i played pub football the same 13 rules where in place for 20 years!

Next goal wins.

 

[chrismpw]

Can't disagree with any word said here. The fact that nobody is arguing against these perceptions speaks volumes.

I preferred it before money came into the sport and turned it into TV drama. With the m8ney came the greed, the corruption, the scripting and favouritism (the big armchair brands are always there or thereabouts to sell the product - thats not competition or sport thats script and planning).

I'm so off pro football thanks to cheating, sky and the prem, that I literally look at no other results other than ours anymore - and I hate myself for doing even that. If more people start thinking like me the game will die. Maybe that would be a good thing.

 

[Rita_Poon]

WWFA?

 

[tonyhorne]

VAR, in itself is a useful tool but it's how it is implemented by officials that is the big problem.

Eventually it will evolve to a system that everyone can live with but any relatively new system will have teething issues to be resolved.

I hope you are right.

However, I suspect it will continue to shape football into a more athletic game with less and less physical contact. More like basketball than anything else.

I do, though, hope it is you who is right ...

 

[Cameron Manning]

I hate modern football

I think more and more fans have this point of view whether they go to the game or watch it on TV which rules football since Sky took over and the premier league was formed.

Society has developed a warped and self-righteous sense of what is right and ‘fair’. It needs the subsequent punishment of any perceived offence, while remaining distracted by memes and warnings from what is actually happening, which keeps people where they are and where they can be seen and it nullifies any major dissent of authority. This has found its way into football.

PL football is now all about who has been ‘wronged’, what is the ‘verdict’ and what punishment will be given. We have VAR and PL rules to decide on the wrongdoing and verdict and incompetent and/or corrupt individuals/groups within the VAR and PL processes deciding who gets what punishment.

Rules have always been made to be broken. That’s why they are made in the first place, otherwise they would not be made. We have to have punishment of what is not ours. In PL football it’s incompetence and/or corruption which determines the level of punishment.

The only way this will change is for either the rules to be changed or the people who make the incompetent and/or corrupt verdicts and determination of punishment are either investigated and regulated (punished) or they are removed completely. It’s punishment and ‘fairness’ we want, isn’t it?

Any flyer, poster or flag saying “Corrupt” is pointless. Even those dishing out their punishments from VAR and the PL know they are either incompetent or corrupt. What is telling them what they already know going to change?

Protests would gain more coverage and support if any email, letter, flyer, etc. mentioned regulation or investigation of PL officials and officers. Shouting “CORRUPTION” just makes us sound like we don’t think it’s ‘fair’, which it isn’t of course, but nobody cares as long as it isn’t being done to them.

We need to fight and fight hard and dirty. We don’t need to ‘work with them’ we need to tell them how it was and how it’s going to be but if we don’t, at least we’ll have had the satisfaction of telling them they’re corrupt. That’ll learn them and they’ll never do it again will they!

UTFT

Your remark “ Nobody cares about corruption as long as it doesn’t happen to them” is absolutely 100% spot on.