is'nt it about time.....

I said 'the majority of shirt-pulling occures BEFORE corners and free kicks...', Baz.

The ball isn't in play until the referee blows his whistle and the ball is kicked. He can caution players or send them off for incidents when the ball is out of play, but he cannot upgrade a throw-in to a free kick or upgrade a corner or free kick to a penalty.

Watch next time. The players pull, push and tug to gain an advantage or to gain a bit of space - then as soon as the corner or free kick is taken, they more often than that let go.

On the other hand, I totally agree that if the ball is in play, then it should be a penalty (and sending off if it prevents a goal-scoring opportunity) or a free kick to the defence (and a caution).

The problem is when it's 'six of one and half a dozen of the other' and the ball is in play in the penalty area. What does the referee do then? My first thought was 'give a bounce-up' but that offers a huge opportunity to the attacking side and the sly ones (like Diouf) would try to engineer such a set of circumstances..

The referee does actually blow up quite often in these situations however the reason it goes unnoticed so much is it is always given as a free kick to the defending team and never a penalty to the attackers.

Ooe, i agree a couple of weeks of ref co-operation would probably sort it out,but like you say it's not going to happen.ii

I'd like to table a motion for a law that states:
"Every time a player commits and infringement in the box, everyone punches John Terry".

Well, I can dream.......

I'll second that motion Moj.

Anyway, all shirts should be fitted with sensors that alert the ref when a certain force in exceeded. The ref will have a personal device that tells him which shirt was pulled so he can then give the free kick or penno. The technology is there, it's about time they used it.

I've thought for a long time now that with all the money shirt manufacturers make, they ought to be able to develop a fabric that would tear easily when pulled strongly.

Try denying you were holding someone back when part of his shirt is in your hand!

Old sayings and folklore just work on so many levels...

Red sky at night, punch John Terry.
Many hands punch John Terry.
A stitch in time? Punch John Terry.
If you wash on New Year's Day, punch John Terry.

Sitting behind the goal every match as I do, I get a very clear view of what's going on during the run-up to a corner or a freekick. There could be a fourth official behind each goal to minitor and note these offences. He would communicate names and/or shirt numbers to the ref who would then award a yellow card.

The practise would stop inside 2 weeks.

Gareth Bale dives to prevent injury. According to AVB.

Ramdini i like the idea,as lo ng as they pro-active,not like those idiots they have behind the goaline in european matches !