This! It's the answer...so simple and could be introduced immediately.The only outlay is a decent stop watch.
Maybe it's time to introduce "shot clocks" - big visible display on scoreboard every time a team has a goal kick/throw-in/keeper has ball in his hands. Countdown from 10 (or whatever) and indirect free kick given to the opposition if the time expires. Referee controls when the timer starts
Why don’t the FA have a simple poll asking fans what is really pissing them off and what needs to be changed. I bet time wasting is at the top. Unfortunately with the FA they don’t like to be told these things and prefer to make up their own decisions totally ignoring the fans.
And then the referees complain about the abuse they get from the fans and players, do your job and most of it will go away.
The issuing of yellows nice n early in the game for obvious time wasting, feigning injury, kicking the ball away, running 50 yards to get involved in an incident that has nothing to do with you etc could put a stop to all of this within weeks. Once players start getting sent off for kicking a ball away and then later taking an age to take a throw in, they’d stop doing it and the game would be much better. Of course there’d be a massive whinge but if it was applied properly the game would be a much better spectacle. Unfortunately it’ll never happen. You could also look at just treating an “injured” player on the pitch while the game goes on around them. They do it in rugby without it causing any issues.
Sorry like but that's not true. Every ref in this country from the Premier League, right down to grass roots levels takes unnecessary abuse from fans. If a ref makes a decision against a team, he has often hounded by the fans. Rarely do you get a set of fans hold their hands up and admit the ref got a decision right against them. The kind of "soft" penalty they criticise the refs for giving against them, they will also criticise the refs if they don't get given in their favour and it suddenly because "stonewall". Refs are easy targets for abuse and sadly as recent discussions show, it's often physical abuse at a grass roots level. The standard of refereeing is going to get worse in football simply because it's not going to be worth it to do the job for many people. Less competition, so the standard drops.
I get that but the frustration of the fans stems from a lot of obvious issues on the pitch that can be corrected, abuse will never be gone completely but it would certainly be reduced imo. Linesmen seem to be unable to flag for fouls right in front of them, referees and 4th officials are terrible at adding the appropriate time for time-wasting and they all need help when players surround the ref. Only the captain should be able to and anyone else having a go should get an instant card. Grass roots is a tough one, they should never be at a match on their own and any abuse should be an instant docked points or something similar.
I was very angry that our very own Luke appeared to be feigning cramp on tuesday thus delaying QPRS penalty!!!!!!!!!!!! Until the powers that be sort this out, its bound to happen every match, If its a head injury, fair enough officials have to be cautious. If its alleged cramp I would let the cheating bastards lie there and continue the game uninterrupted.........................
I watched the full 90 milutes again and hadn't realised how often the QPR players were attempting to drag up players who'd been tackled and gone down. Isn't putting your hands on a player, especially when the ball is out of play a booking offence ... ... in each case the referee just stood and wtahed. Players sometimes go down with serious problems yet don't look particularly injured. What happens if it's a neck injury that's made serious by being dragged off the pitch.
My Grandson 15 yr old is a qualified junior referee and he does from under 7 to 14s. This is his second season and so far he's only been subjected to parent abuse once. His dad coaches under 16s and usually accompanies him to keep an eye on him, he absolutely loves it, especially being paid his fee and expenses, don't think verbal abuse bothers him as he's so laid back but it is a concern and totally unacceptable.
