There's quite a thing on the BBC about potential changes to the laws of the game. Some suggested ones are absurd in my view, like goalkeepers have to go up for corners. I'm happy to hear the ones that might be considered crazy, though! Simulation is one area that could be tightened up it seems. Red card, automatic penalty, or, if proved on video after the game, how about a three match ban? I mean, if the ref gets that wrong with no VAR, you could have a player brought down and thus getting sent off/conceding a penalty for getting fouled! I think I prefer the retrospective 3 match ban - stringent, and more forgiving if the ref makes an in-game mistake. Free-kicks/throw-ins, passing to yourself seems to be popular. VAR; a 90 second time limit, Gabby Logan suggests. I'd shorten that to 30 seconds. If it's not clear and obvious in 30s, it's not "clear and obvious". Time-wasting; is that such an issue now they are on this more? But I've only see two refs at Vicarage Road properly time the goalkeeper 8s rule. One suggestion there was for a penalty rather than corner. Not sure about that. Double-goals for shots outside the box after 80mins are a step too far for me. I think handball is purely about clarification. The "is it deliberate?" argument put forward by Alan Shearer is really what the current law tries to enforce, IMHO, it's just that coaches/defenders have got 'cute', jumping for headers with their hands in total 'goalkeeper mode', then claiming the proximity argument precludes them from criticism. I think we're largely wise to that and any handball interpretation has to reflect that. What possibilities do we think should be considered?
First thing I'd do is require referees to have actually played the game competitively. Sunday Cloggers League 9th Division would do, just to understand the thought processes of the players, which was more or less the same in my experience from the bottom end of the Watford Church League through to the Ryman League. Some prevailing attitudes were different (the WCL was a ghastly league to officiate in compared with the Southern Olympian League) and the physicality required to keep up with play increased the higher up the echelons we go. The laws were fine, the current interpretation is the main problem. I've cautioned on "simulation" long before it became a thing. There was no need for this to become a separate issue. Players have never refereed, either. They don't know the laws: it was a shock to my system how little I actually knew before taking up the whistle. Bloomin' glad I did as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Just use VAR for factual decisions like GLT is used for . Or for an incident that is so obviously wrong they don't need minutes to make a decision as clearly they often try to second guess themselves and really aren't very confident either way. If a ref makes a "bad" tight subjective call on the pitch then so be. Actually make sure dissent and time wasting is punished consistently. As for new rules - well they never seem to last very long to worth bothering. Has any keeper been punished for holding onto the ball for more than 8 seconds yet - a couple as Andy says. Handball is such a lottery you'd almost might as well make it that if the ball hits a hand it's a penalty/free kick etc. Least you could be consistent then.
I presume these articles have come about because its an International break and due to the fact Liverpool felt hard done by on Sunday with their goal being ruled out for offside. It was offside and probably interference in a by gone era which is why the assistant gave it but now with the rules and VAR there the decision isn’t as obvious and clear cut . And of course next week a different set of officials might well see that incident another way which only adds to the frustration about a lack of consistency.
Actually I haven't seen it penalised at the Vic, but I've seen two referees indicate the time the keeper has left. One was very clear, raising his hand aloft showing five fingers with 5 seconds left, pulling his hand fully down then back up with four fingers, back down, back up with three etc. No keeper could say he didn't understand, it was excellent. And so there was no keeper time-wasting at all.
