Football Rules

[Mad2Ad]

Hi just thjought it would be interesting to find out what other people think to football today.

More specifically the rules and tackling and phyiscal aspect to the game.

I personally belive that football has now become virtually a non contact sport, and i think that this is very wrong. This i would say is the general feeling in britain and i would just like to know what people from around the world think.

In my opinion i think that football should be made more physical.

When i see european football matches i always think why has the ref blown up again and usually its because there has been a brilliant challenge but the tackle caught the player after the ball slightly or he jumped with his arms up.(this is impossible not to do)

This is normally why english teams and England struggle as the premiership is more lenient to tackles etc then other leagues.
An example of this is the header that terry or campbell(i cant remeber who) scored a goal for england in the european championship against portugal and it was dissallowed .
Most people in england all agreed it was a goal as he simply out jumped the goalkeeper. However people from other countries tended to say it wasn't a goal.i still belive it was a goal but im not gunna go on about that its just that football has become a sport for "puffs" and i think that spain italy leagues are worst for this.

Although i belive that the Premiership is closer to the right sort of rules then Spain or Germany or Turkey etc. After all i think most people would agree that the Premiership is probably one if the best league to watch.

[Fabrizio Gatti]

I agree that the Premiership is great, and better than other european leagues, tough French league is kinda surprising

Onto the poll: Here where I play (universitary league), you couldn't possibly say that the rules are making the game non-physical, I struggle bumping myself into bigger players to try and win possession near goal And I've had some sprains, a lot of bruises, and several broken toes since I play there, I wouldnt' like the rules to change, I guess it has the thrills it needs

[Mad2Ad]

Yeah well maybe i shouldn't have used the words non physical but i just feel that you cant tackle as much any more. If you get the ball first then take the player a little (so long as its not 2 bad) then its should not be a free kick.

The game doesn't seem to flow very well any more.
for example a reason why i cant watch La Liga is because its too stop starty its all fouls and dives.

[Drozdov]

Actually the Euro Championship goal was a blatant foul on the goalkeeper by John Terry - he was holding the goalkeeper down and had both hands on his shoulders. But I guess that's not the main point.

I agree the rules need changing but I'm more bothered by all the stupid little technical fouls and bookings they love to encourage. Exactly who cares if someone takes their shirt off to celebrate or kicks the ball away after the referee blows their whistle?

British teams are competitive in Europe mainly because they are physical and try hard at the non-technical side of the game. Even if you think they don't get away with it enough, it's for that reason that British teams are punching above their ability level. Check the UEFA cup - I think all the British teams are top of their groups, despite the fact that most of them have inferior quality football players to their opposition. So I don't think it's really fair to say the rules should be changed to suit the British style since our teams already have enough leeway to make up for the generally lesser technical ability compared to other styles of football.

Obviously it shouldn't be a foul if a player wins the ball with a tackle and then catches his opponent 'a little', but only if it is just 'a little'. I think it should still count as a foul and dangerous play if you go crunching in, take the ball and break the other players leg on the follow-through. A lot of British crowds would probably like to see that, good old commitment in the tackle and whatnot, but it's not good from a footballing point of view. It's basically to cut out dangerous tackles, which is a good thing, but it's true that some referees are too strict in their interpretation and apply it to tackles which aren't dangerous or overly forceful. I'd say they were in the minority.

I don't watch La Liga because I don't have Sky, but I did watch the Portuguese Superleague when it was on C5, which is similarly stop-start with about 7 bookings per game. It's just a different style, it's not fair to say every country should have the same style. Spanish, Italian and Portuguese fans probably think the game is too physical. It leads to problems in Europe but I find that the referees tend to change their style when it comes to European games - they certainly don't referee them like they would the league games in their own country. It's not as if British teams are getting their games refereed like La Liga matches when they get Spanish referees.

Basically I just like watching referees that let the game flow, play advantage all the time when possible, don't force themselves into the game and try and make a dramatic impact. I think when they're refereeing in UEFA/FIFA competitions, they feel they have to apply the letter of the law and tend to use common sense less, because they're afraid the official assessing their performance will give them bad marks and they won't be able to referee those big matches again. The World Cup really suffered from that, the footballing governing bodies need to allow referees to use common sense and reward those who allow the game to flow rather than those who just apply the letter of the law, hand out bookings constantly and turn the match into a bitter fight rather than an entertaining game. But FIFA and the like are staffed by imbeciles totally out of touch with football, so they invent stupid new rules that have no relevance to the game and force referees to apply them. And when people complain, like they did at the World Cup, Sepp Blatter and co. come out and complain about the level of refereeing. Idiots.

[Mad2Ad]

Actually the Euro Championship goal was a blatant foul on the goalkeeper by John Terry - he was holding the goalkeeper down and had both hands on his shoulders. But I guess that's not the main point.

I agree the rules need changing but I'm more bothered by all the stupid little technical fouls and bookings they love to encourage. Exactly who cares if someone takes their shirt off to celebrate or kicks the ball away after the referee blows their whistle?

British teams are competitive in Europe mainly because they are physical and try hard at the non-technical side of the game. Even if you think they don't get away with it enough, it's for that reason that British teams are punching above their ability level. Check the UEFA cup - I think all the British teams are top of their groups, despite the fact that most of them have inferior quality football players to their opposition. So I don't think it's really fair to say the rules should be changed to suit the British style since our teams already have enough leeway to make up for the generally lesser technical ability compared to other styles of football.

Obviously it shouldn't be a foul if a player wins the ball with a tackle and then catches his opponent 'a little', but only if it is just 'a little'. I think it should still count as a foul and dangerous play if you go crunching in, take the ball and break the other players leg on the follow-through. A lot of British crowds would probably like to see that, good old commitment in the tackle and whatnot, but it's not good from a footballing point of view. It's basically to cut out dangerous tackles, which is a good thing, but it's true that some referees are too strict in their interpretation and apply it to tackles which aren't dangerous or overly forceful. I'd say they were in the minority.

I don't watch La Liga because I don't have Sky, but I did watch the Portuguese Superleague when it was on C5, which is similarly stop-start with about 7 bookings per game. It's just a different style, it's not fair to say every country should have the same style. Spanish, Italian and Portuguese fans probably think the game is too physical. It leads to problems in Europe but I find that the referees tend to change their style when it comes to European games - they certainly don't referee them like they would the league games in their own country. It's not as if British teams are getting their games refereed like La Liga matches when they get Spanish referees.

Basically I just like watching referees that let the game flow, play advantage all the time when possible, don't force themselves into the game and try and make a dramatic impact. I think when they're refereeing in UEFA/FIFA competitions, they feel they have to apply the letter of the law and tend to use common sense less, because they're afraid the official assessing their performance will give them bad marks and they won't be able to referee those big matches again. The World Cup really suffered from that, the footballing governing bodies need to allow referees to use common sense and reward those who allow the game to flow rather than those who just apply the letter of the law, hand out bookings constantly and turn the match into a bitter fight rather than an entertaining game. But FIFA and the like are staffed by imbeciles totally out of touch with football, so they invent stupid new rules that have no relevance to the game and force referees to apply them. And when people complain, like they did at the World Cup, Sepp Blatter and co. come out and complain about the level of refereeing. Idiots.

yeah interesting post here

i cant be ***** to talk about the goal against portugal in my opinion it was in others no but thats just life and thats just football anyways.

Yeah about the bookings for going to the crowd and taking your shirt off to me that just aggravates players and causes more problems then it solves. Going to the crowd does not exactly cause riots or crowds to come ontop the pitch its just pointless booking them. It isn't showing a bad example for kids. Its much better for kids to take there shirts off when they score a goal then too go round mugging people cause there bored. I belive GTA san andreas has a worse affect on kids then a bleeding football match. And as for kicking the ball away thats just stupid too it would be better to add 10 seconds every time they did it or just simply stop clock etc.
I think that they should spend more time booking divers to be honest, which they never do. Allthough i see this the biggest problem in football. In my opinion the only thing that would stop diving is a three match ban. Maybe harsh but it would work.

Secondly i dont agree with the fact british teams have less technical ability. Would you say that Man U has lees techniqual ability then Lyon? No, course not its the lesser teams with the lack of technical ability.
e.g I would say no one in the world has the striking ability of Steven Gerrard,Wayne Rooney or the long distance passing of David Beckham etc.
People just genralise british football too much, teams such as mine Leicester or Chester etc lack technical ability yes, not Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham or Newcastle
Yes Birtish teams are generally more physical but they do have alot of technique. I dont belive for a second that Phyiscal attributes to the british game is the only reason british teams have dominated so much this season. Simply because they have been too good for the rest so far.

As for changing the rules to suit british teams. No of course not thats unfair im simply saying that the premiership is closer in MY OPINION to the "right sort of rules" then spain or tialy or argentina etc.
Allthough i do think that other european teams are more suited to the way the games are reffed. Its more of an spainish/italian style reffing in europe.

You say that it shouldn't be a foul if a player gets the ball and a little of the player but at the minute in european competitions it is and it shouldn't be. there are no end of tackles that have been given as foul when they are not.
And you shouldn't cut out good tackles to try to cut down dangerous play. Simply just book and send off bad chalenges and let the game continue for good tackles. However, this does not happen.

For me the best ref ive seen is definatly Pierluigi Collina.
we need more like him. not these refs who want to be apart of the action.

Like that ref who did the world cup final this year was useless. a good ref is someone you dont notice. You definatly noticed him in the England Portugal game. i think that if Pierluigi Collina had reffed that match it would have been a much better match to watch then some ref not in control of a match.

Hehe i also agree that Sepp Blatter is the woprst president fifa could ever have he obviously doesn't know what hes talking about. bring on Michel Platini is all i can say. Least he actually played top flight football.

[Ben O'Bagels]

There's some rules I think should be kept in football and some that I disagree with so I woudn't say yeah the rules are right or no the rules are wrong, and I would have to disagree with the Premiership being the most exciting league in the world, the Championship is more exciting to be honest. In the Premiership you know which teams will finish in the top spots every single year and aside from the top teams not that many teams actuly try to get the ball down and play exciting football.

[Mad2Ad]

There's some rules I think should be kept in football and some that I disagree with so I woudn't say yeah the rules are right or no the rules are wrong, and I would have to disagree with the Premiership being the most exciting league in the world, the Championship is more exciting to be honest. In the Premiership you know which teams will finish in the top spots every single year and aside from the top teams not that many teams actuly try to get the ball down and play exciting football.

I dont agree with the championship being more exciting then the premiership.

i personal find man u v chelsea more exciting tehn brimingham v derby. i know which one will be better quality more passion more riding on it everything. Sure the premiership is predictable but the championship has no quality about it at all.

aside from the top teams not that many teams actuly try to get the ball down and play exciting football.

its a shame then that none of the 24 teams in the championship play blinding football then isn't it.

every league in the world has teams doggedly fighting to stay up

i would say bolton play good football and it aint long ball and whoever says it is is idiotic to be honest.

Tottenham play lovely football at times. sure you have sheffield united and co but so does every league.

[Ben O'Bagels]

I dont agree with the championship being more exciting then the premiership.

i personal find man u v chelsea more exciting tehn brimingham v derby. i know which one will be better quality more passion more riding on it everything. Sure the premiership is predictable but the championship has no quality about it at all.

More passion? How do overpriced primadonnas have more passion they don't give a **** about the team they play for as Ashley Cole proved last summer. Then you have the spin masters of the King's Road, who when they play badly like they did against Reading cover it up with a media circus by calling opponantes players murderers. Players acting ridiculessly such as Lehmann and Drogba and half empty stadiums with a load of plastic fans who bugger off as soon as thier team losses.

Sure the quality of the big games such as your Arsenal's vs. Man United's may be more exciting than a game such as Ipswich vs Hull but at least the players in those matches arn't overpayed primadonnas who spend half there time diving of screaming at the ref and the fans have a bit of passion.

[adam_the_scouser]

I am right there with you about serious bans for diving. I believe you should be picked up on it after the game too. Then players like Ronaldo for United would get a long ban. Like when he cheated Boro for the penalty this season and the countless other dives which have led to goals. Just like serious fouls missed by the ref dives should be reviewed too and then the appropriate punishement dished out.

Stuart Pearce was spot on the other week when he said and I quote " I won't stand here and give you some bull**** excuse about not seeing it. I will have serious words with the player and it won't happen again". Could you see Ferguson doing that? The cheats need to be punished no matter who they play for.

You too Ben are right on the money. I was waiting for my Liverpool season ticket for 4 years back in 1995. I thought who shall I watch in the mean time. So me and my dad chose Wigan back when they were in Divison 3 going up to division 2. Our season tickets cost £75 for him and £30 for me and every week you would see a cracking game. Because those players were not on thousands and millions a year. they were playing to keep their jobs. We had Roy Carroll and I remember when he turned up in the car park in a skoda. Only Istanbul and Cardiff have just been more exciting than when on the last day of the season it was between us and Bournemouth for a playoff place. We had to win which we did and they had to lose. Our game finished first and the whole stadium fell silent....the players were still on the pitch and they put the commentary coming in from the Bournemouth game over the loudspeaker. When it come over that the had lost 2-1 there was a massive cheer followed by a pitch invasion. the wigan players got off the pitch and emerged at the top of the stand we had come from and the players applauded the fans and we applauded them.

That is genuine passion and respect from both the players and fans something you never get with millionaire footballers. Do you think Gerrard stayed with Liverpool cos he loves the club and the fans. I think it was the massive paycheck that changed it myself.

[Mad2Ad]

More passion? How do overpriced primadonnas have more passion they don't give a **** about the team they play for as Ashley Cole proved last summer. Then you have the spin masters of the King's Road, who when they play badly like they did against Reading cover it up with a media circus by calling opponantes players murderers. Players acting ridiculessly such as Lehmann and Drogba and half empty stadiums with a load of plastic fans who ****** off as soon as thier team losses.

Sure the quality of the big games such as your Arsenal's vs. Man United's may be more exciting than a game such as Ipswich vs Hull but at least the players in those matches arn't overpayed primadonnas who spend half there time diving of screaming at the ref and the fans have a bit of passion.

Actually i see the championship as having more primadonners then the premiership. The players in the championship think of them selves gods when they are actually just average players.

[adam_the_scouser]

Like who??? Of the teams that were relegated from the Premiership all the so called bigger players jumped ship!!! You can measure the true stature of the players who thought they would stay with the clubs and try and help them bounce back.

I can't think of one player in the championship who thinks of themselves as a god?

[tomer the king]

I think the rules are right, becouse in Israel, there are no legal fauls, everybody is takling from behind and if the rules will change all the polayers will be injured.