http://resources.fifa.com/mm/docume...lscoringopportunityfinalversionen_neutral.pdf When a penalty is awarded and someone is deemed to have accidentally fouled someone and denied them a clear goalscoring opportunity only a yellow card will be issued. However, any deliberate fouls or handballs will still be punishable by a red card.
Well I thought it should have its own thread as it's an important rule and it's going to get lost in the general football thread. This is something that people need to see (I'm not the only referee on here so they may have missed it).
Fair enough I'll add the previous link again. http://www.skysports.com/football/n...-softening-rules-on-fouls-in-the-penalty-area
Personally I think this is going to create more debate and has certainly made the law more open to interpretation. Different referees will see things differently.
But when I posted, several weeks ago, that there were plans to change the rules regarding red cards for preventing goal scoring opportunities inside the box, you told me it wasn't going to happen. Surely you weren't wrong?
I remember saying not that long ago that the old rule was nonsense and needed changing, and Tom said that I was wrong, and that it wasnt nonsense
It's been slightly changed. I was concerned that players would just pull someone back when through in the area and only get a yellow. Thankfully that's not going to happen. That is still going to be a red. Actually, I don't think there will be much difference. There will still be more reds than yellows.
It's only been slightly modified. You can still give away a penalty and be sent off for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity.
On one hand it's good....I feel many penalty decisions are rejected because it means a red card, so referees are reluctant to give them. A recent example would have been Tadic against Stoke. Butland made an honest attempt for the ball, but missed it. If a foul of that nature was made anywhere else on the pitch then it would just be foul and probably not even a card. The downside to opening these rules up, is like handball rule, you will end up with inconsistency. Overall, I think the good outweighs the bad on this occasion.
Still think its time to say if it hits the arm or hand in the area it is a penalty, if the defender could not get out of the way no further punishment is required, if deliberate then a red. all the ball to hand or hand to ball is confusing for fan and ref with refs showing lack of consistancy
In hockey, it's a penalty without being deliberate....though of course the chances of scoring from a pen in hockey isn't as high as in football. The Mane shot against Leicester should have been a penalty (morally...stand down, Tom ), but a yellow card (unless the ref was a mind reader).
I don't see this making much difference. Just something else that will be down to interpretation. We'll still get arguments and incosistency, perhaps more so. As for the kick off rule that's strange. Anyone know the reason behind it? Assume that will be the end of 2 players taking the kick off.