Why is there a rule that players and referees ignore. Aston Villa kick off the second half by kicking the ball backwards when the rule requires the ball to be kicked forwards. The referee saw it but ignored it. It's exactly the same with holding attackers in the penalty area - referees mainly ignore the rule. What chaos.
It's the same with fouls in the penalty area. Some commentators say "That would have been given if it had been anywhere else on the pitch" Total bollocks.
Same with Man U players constantly telling the ref what to do, Rooney always seems to ignore it and never books any of them.
The best one was the ref playing on when the villa player was clearly down with an head injury and you could see the ref shaking his head as if to say there's nowt wrong with you! The player went off & didn't return! He was concussed.
They usually have a very small part of the ball over the line. As if putting it in the box is going to make the corner better.
Seen several of late on sky matches that have defiantly been outside the corner box , one in which game I cant remember(old age) resulted in a goal.
There's an unwritten rule these days that at corner kicks the game switches to rugby. Anything goes. I blame the refs.
i don't think rooney has the power to book players, other than for concerts, nativity plays and barmitzvahs.
I got pulled up for that in a school match years ago, very embarrassing at the time, also for taking corners in the wrong spot!
Talking about kick offs, I was playing for Hull City Southern Supporters many years ago and a well known City supporter - now on the board of HCST - was waiting to kick off. The ref appeared ready so he stood on one leg with the other leg poised to kick the ball. The referee seemed to be delaying the kick off for no good reason. Gradually the kicker started to lose his balance and eventually the kicker lost his balance just as the referee blew for the kick off and the kicker started to fall over at the same time he wildly kept swinging his foot at the ball but failed to connect as he fell over. He then had to get up off the ground and kick off properly. That is the only time I've seen a player fall over at a kick off.
What actually did happen to that short lived period of the ref moving the ball forwards 10 (yards / metres) when players dissented? Does it not exist any more or is it just ignored?
