This is my first article on ja606, so clearly I'm not usually one to rant, but, having now seen the red card, here's my two cents: It was never a red, but that's not the real problem. You could ask ten different football fans to give their opinion on that tackle and you might get ten different answers. Most will tell you it wasn't a red, some will say it was. Some will say it's a definite yellow, others will say it wasn't even a yellow. Some might say it wasn't even a foul.
The real problem here is that there is far to much ambiguity and subjectivity in how the rules are applied. Like any other law, it is up to the law makers to clarify what the law says nad how it is to be applied.
Until FIFA/UEFA make the rules about these kind of tackles crystal clear, the game will continue to be ruined by stupid, inconsistent decisions. Rant Over.
It's UEFA/FIFA's fault.
posted on 6/3/13
Shouldn't the rules be doing more to ensure games end 11v11 bar extreme rule breaks?
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No. That's the players responsibilities, not the red or refs.
However you do touch on something that irks me. Player brought down in box. Penalty. Likely goal. Red card. 3 match ban. That a huge punishment for one mistimed tackle that may have had no malice in it at all
posted on 6/3/13
belmonty,
I love a good debate about the rules too, but it's time to stop leaving major decisions open to interpretation. If it is a minor foul then sure, let the Referees have their discretion. this would avoid the 'layers and layers of rules to cover every eventuality' scenario that you are afraid of, but for red card offenses, the players need to know what the likely outcome is.
Put it to you this way, if Nani had thought for a second that he would have got a red card for hanging his leg out, do you think he would have done it?
posted on 6/3/13
Well lets look at the nani example. What could the rule be? Any challenge with studs above the waist is a red? You would have the de Jong / Alonso tackle, the nani tackle, the Carlton cole tackle or Cantona style Kung fu kick to an opponents chest all being seen as the same offence. Surely that can't be right?
We would be left with deliberate violent above the waist tackles being seen in the same light as an accidental rash challenge (such as I feel nanis was) being seem in the same way. I don't see how it could work
posted on 6/3/13
No. That's the players responsibilities, not the red or refs.
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There are a lot of rules that help ruin games though. Yellow for celebrating a goal for instance. Surely there are better ways to deal with this 'crime'?
posted on 6/3/13
Can't disagree there dj. There are indeed plenty of poor rules that need addressed.
posted on 6/3/13
You would have the de Jong / Alonso tackle, the nani tackle, the Carlton cole tackle or Cantona style Kung fu kick to an opponents chest all being seen as the same offence.
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Didn't they all get red cards under the current system??
posted on 6/3/13
De Jong, no. Cole and Nani, yes. But the point isn't what punishment they received, it's more that with non interpretable rules all 3 would be seen as the same foul despite there being very clear differences in intent
posted on 6/3/13
Additionally, at least these players would then know that were going to get red cards before raising their feet.
My point is, if the rule was clear that a foot raised above waist height that makes contact with another player is a red card, then players wont do it. And if they do do it, they have no one to blame when they get sent off except themselves.
posted on 6/3/13
You are right, De Jong only got a yellow, but I think that proves my point as any sane person would have said that is a red card and was probably the worst out of all of them (Cantona included). But, because it was left open to interpretation, the referee only gave a yellow.
posted on 6/3/13
But then we have a problem where purely innocent challenges for the ball with absolutely no intent to foul are punished exactly the same way as a deliberate chest high foul.
It's the same as saying a kick to the head is a red card. But there are plenty of times where a player dips his head low for a ball but gets a kick from someone trying to get a toe on the ball. The defender puts his head in a stupid place but the attacker is sent off for a kick in the head. It's cant be that black DVD white.
Anyway. I'm off to have a read before bed. Cheers for the debate