That is all we need Why not two yellow cards for fouls = Red card Two yellow cards for minor offences or one of each = Sin Bin for ten minutes and third yellow card for any offence = Red card
The trouble for me is that it's all too subjective and you will just get more inconsistency as each ref with have their own view on what is a blue card or deemed a yellow card for example so everyone will start complaining about unfairness. Sounds like this a while off though.
Maybe it could work for a specific number of offences, such as dissent or time-wasting. There are offences that don't really warrant a yellow, but are annoying and slow the game down.
How about a green card for carefully replacing a divot, a gold card for an original goal celebration and a yellow card for outfield players wearing gloves?
The poll currently gives a clear indication as to what fans think - 86% against. But I doubt any of the suits responsible for the idea will listen. I've said this before and say it again - football should look to other sports for ideas of good practice, and implement them. Aussie Rules for example - in which the concept of sending players off is alien to fans who want to watch as even a contest as possible. Players committing 'serious' offences are simply put on report by the umpire - and all such cases are heard by a disciplinary panel on the Monday after the match, and face hefty fines and/or long suspensions if found guilty. As a bonus, the system stops the sight of players rolling around in agony if their hair has been flicked, in an attempt to cheat by conning the match officials.
Because of the players behaviour... they manage the player.... . so there is an immediate and short sanction... It might reduce the number of marginal red cards....... so less ruining of the game
On the other hand... In the EPL alone last season, there were 293 red cards issued. Of those 293, 199 were to players of clubs in the top half - mostly in the so-called Big 6 where the salaries are ridiculously high. This season so far, there have been 180 issued - of those 122 have been to players of basically the same set of rich clubs. So there is a clear correlation between high salaries and poor player behaviour. Perhaps the answer is to stop paying ridiculously high salaries? Aside from that, having a system whereby players are put on report and are dealt with by a disciplinary panel within either 24 or 48 hours will still punish the club, who can lose the services of those players for longer periods. Having a player sent off midway through a game generally gives an unfair advantage to the other side - and it's the fans who suffer.
There are clearly pros and cons in this debate, but I would be prepared to see it used on a trial basis. I like the system in rugby when a player is sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes while the incident is reviewed, so giving an instant justice, while not holding up play. Some of the reviews in football can take an age. It would be interesting to know how many appeals against red cards are successful in football. It can be very costly to a team that loses a game when being short of a player for a large part of a match, then finding out the next week it was a mistake. Another instance where it could help would be when a player asked a lino when he had last visited an optician, and gets a yellow for dissent, and later gets a second yellow for a mistimed, but not malicious tackle. Neither offence probably should get a yellow card, but a time for reflection wouldn't go amiss.
Dissent can be punished already or are refs too scared about ruining games if they sent someone off and this is seen as a half way house? As for fouls well if it’s that bad and cyclical send the player off . They will soon learn as Billing of Bournemouth might have done at the weekend.
Chateauroux have several fleet footed forwards, but instead of using their speed insist on trying to pass, pass, pass, until one is cut out. Eventually they listened to me yelling at them to run at the Dijon defence, and were awarded a penalty when a standing leg was removed just as a shot was going to take place. Ok, they need every point they can get, and the penalty brought them level, but rather than go for a winner it was back to the possession game. Football can be so frustrating.
Trouble is fans and managers etc won't like it if a player isn't sent off against them then they find that in fact what said player did is strong enough for him to miss other games potentially against rival clubs. VAR is "broken" etc because people thought the system would bring perfection and there would be no talking points about decisions made as all the refs would be the same on every aspect of decision making with no differences in opinion. We even see different leagues and competitions have their own variations of the rules like handball. It should have just come in for factual incidents. Be the same with this - you can see the complaints when one week x does get a blue card for dissent or a bad foul but the next ye doesn't. Particularly if one is a bottom half PL player and the other from one of the elite. I think refs just need to be stronger with dissent and punish players more regardless of if they get accused of spoiling the game or being fussy. As for fouls - well unfortunately they have and always will be subjective in nature. Just now fans get frustrated at the games because they don't know what is going on and it takes time out of the game and generally people don't want to watch endless periods of one bloke talking to another on a screen.
Will there be any fans left to support West Ham after that mauling in the first half? Mass exodus at half time.
