FA get FIFA permission to stamp out farcical loopholes in disciplinary process

Published 22:31 11/04/12

FIFA have told the FA they can change their disciplinary rules to prevent another Mario Balotelli farce.

No action over Balotelli's studs-up tackle on Song

Manchester City striker Balotelli has escaped further sanction for his disgraceful challenge on Arsenal’s Alex Song on Sunday after referee Martin Atkinson told disciplinary chiefs he had seen the clash, although he did not realise the severity of the studs-first contact.

While FIFA have confirmed that decision was correct as the FA’s disciplinary rulebook currently stands, Wembley chiefs were given the green light to change their regulations and ensure punishments fit the crimes in future seasons.

A FIFA official told the Mirror: “The Laws of the Game are clear and the FA are correct - if the officials have seen an incident, that is the end of it “While we make provisions for “rectifying obvious errors” that refers to cases of wrongful dismissal or mistaken identity. “But, on the last page of the FIFA code, Article 146 states that any national association is 'at liberty to choose the means and wordings of the provisions' as long as they keep the standard directives, like automatic bans for red cards unless they were mistaken decisions. We wouldn’t allow every decision to be challenged, because that would destroy the authority of referees and you can’t change the rules mid-season - they have to be written into the disciplinary code for that country.However, if the FA wanted to put in a clause stating that there would, for example, be retrospective punishment for clear cases of violent conduct or serious foul play not spotted by the officials, they can do that".

"It is unlikely FIFA would object.”

The Balotelli incident - even City manager Roberto Mancini said the Italian deserved an extended ban - was part of a weekend that demonstrated how far behind the curve the authorities are in terms of acting on incidents witnessed by millions on television.
That view was intensified when QPR’s Shaun Derry had his one-match ban for bringing down Manchester United’s Ashley Young - the contact was minimal and the England winger should have been flagged offside - upheld, with FA officials hinting that they will try to alter regulations for next season and are backing the end of the “triple punishment” of red card, penalty and ban for such offences.

FIFA are set to finally agree to the introduction of goalline technology, after Frank Lampard’s ‘goal that never was’ against Germany in Bloemfontein at the 2010 World Cup convinced FIFA president Sepp Blatter to alter his stance. European governing body UEFA - whose president, Michel Platini, Blatter’s likely successor, is opposed to any technology - are resisting even that, arguing that the extra officials behind the goal are a better option,despite the evidence that they seem reluctant to intervene even in clear-cut cases. But the momentum for greater change is growing.
One of Blatter’s former closest aides, ex-FIFA presidential advisor Jerome Champagne, recently sent an open letter to all 208 member associations over the future direction of the game in the 21st century. Champagne said: “Very soon, fans in the stadiums will be able to watch in real time and replay the off-side line on their smartphones and iPads, while the referee will be the only one not having access to this information.
“Some options are available without endangering the stability of the Laws of the Game. We have to reflect, without any taboos, on refereeing in other sports and methods such as sin-bins, public explanation of decisions, or even the penalty-try law in rugby.”

FIFA’s intervention puts the onus on the FA and Premier League to act and underpin rather than undermine the integrity of the game.

***

THE CHANGES FOOTBALL NEEDS TO MAKE

1) Goalline technology FIFA are set to finally green-light a system to rule on the most fundamental part of the game. The Hawkeye system and one version of microchip-in-ball technology have passed the first stage of testing, with decisions made within one second and automatically alerting the referee that the ball was over the line.

2) All in the box Blatant handball offences, especially ones on the line, and clear adjudication of penalty box fouls - and dives - can be made by a video referee, as in rugby or with cricket’s fourth umpire. Better to get them right than feed injustices.

3) Camera never lies Clear-cut cases such as Balotelli-Song should always be punished if missed by officials. Retrospective decisions must be taken out of hands of referees, who currently have to admit to mistakes, which are unavoidable.

4) Star chamber A floating panel of five - including former players, managers and referees - to sit in judgement and study clashes from every top flight game. If players know they will be spotted, they are less likely to offend.

5) Consistent punishment The FA know Balotelli should have been sent off and been handed a five-game ban, so how can they let him escape? Likewise, Manchester United's Wayne Rooney at Wigan last season and Spurs' Benoit Assou-Ekotto against the same team this season. Yet Wolves’ Nenad Milijas got three games for winning the ball at Arsenal this season.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...punished-in-future-seasons-article889297.html

 

I think this needed changing years ago - let's say, in the street, I walk up to someone and hit them over the head with a bottle, they suffer lacerations to the face and end up needing stitches - all caught on legitimate CCTV.

A policeman, watching the incident, writes a report stating "I saw the incident and took no action as I didn;t think it was that bad"
Do I get to walk away scot free or do I get the incident looked at atgain?? I know what the answer is and the FA are so far behind the times/up their own arses (Pick one!!) that it's disgraceful.

I think Goal-line tech is required but I think changing that rule where the referee has taken what he believed was the correct action is much more important

 

Following on from the QPR Derry farce I like many others have gone onto the FA website, 'signed up' and said how in encouraging cheating/diving and not penalising dangerous play they are making the game ludicrous.

Whilst I cannot stand Al Fayed (?) it is a pity more Chairman/Owners do not reach for their lawyers and make the FA and fat Blatter and ignorant Platini see sense.