Portland Bill

It’s 6 seconds, it’s another one that the authorities didn’t feel the need to clamp down too hard on after the initial first season. It causes a lot of hastle and controversy, so instead the referees will normally vocally tell the keeper to get on with it if he/she feels the keeper is taking too long.

Restarts!.

Shielding/protecting the ball has become part of the modern game, every player does it, none of them complain, it’s now accepted, the officials rarely get involved, simply not worth making a meal out of something which players accept is the norm. With regard to the ‘taking one for the team foul’ and as you described it, I totally agree, a lot of those fouls should be a red. It’s exactly the same as a professional foul when a player is through on goal. Assistant referees are heavily involved in decision making, they are in constant 90 minute communication with the referee on microphone but you just don’t see it. Re kicking/throwing the ball away, I explained in a previous post how things have changed re this.

They communicate for 90 minutes believe me. I’ve pointed out before about the kicking the ball away matter. Managers and players ( and fans!) moaned about the amount of bookings for small misdemeanours ( in their eyes) which often led to a player getting a red for two minor offences. So, the FA told referees not to give yellows for these ‘minor’ offences. So don’t blame referees for following instructions given to them from the powers that be. Let’s imagine, 30 minutes to play, Alex Scott already on a yellow card, proceeds to kick the ball 5 yards away after giving away a free kick. Do you want him sent off?. Or do you want the ref to just have a word?.

When the team that wins the free kick asks the referee to get the opposition players back 10 yards, he will. When a team wins a free kick and wants to ‘play’, they can, as long as the ball is in the position where the foul/ handball was committed. Take in to consideration, an injured player on the floor, a yellow card for the offence, the opposition players standing over the ball. You will find it’s not a simple consistency matter, as every stoppage is different. The only way you will find out, is to referee a game yourself.

You will find that there is communication between the referee and the players. 99% of the time the team with the free kick will ask for “ten yards”. The defending goalkeeper will also ask for the whistle.

There are no different rules. As long as the free kick is taken from the right place it’s fine. Why do you think opposition players stand over the ball, they know it can be taking quickly,

A referee only ‘has’ to blow his whistle for two restarts, a kick off, and a penalty.

Best have a word with every manager in the country then, because his instructions will be to do exactly what you stated. They can!.

No rule change needed, a team can take the free kick as quick as they like. It’s the opposition players standing on the ball, a yellow card to be handed out, or an injured player that stops 90% of free kicks being taken quickly. That’s not in the laws of the game though!.

You make some good points. But…. Some of the things you complain aren’t being done… we’re being done… but fans complained about them!. For instance, kicking the ball away, this was clamped down on, but, fans complained that players were getting booked for “petty” taps of the ball, so referees were told to only book players when the ball is kicked away a distance. Foul and abusive language has been allowed to get out of control in the top leagues, referees further down the pyramid ( especially non league referees ) are fuming that the top referees seem to be ignoring it. Because, these non league referees then get the same tirade of abuse thrown at them, but will use the red card. Then you get players and managers complaining that the top leagues players do the same but get away with it !!. I don’t follow your “obstruction” point. Obstruction is always penalised, but shielding the ball is not an offence in the laws of the game. Re grappling at corners etc, this seems to have become an acceptable part of the game nowadays, so much is going on that a referee needs ten pairs of eyes. If at the top level a referee does give a penalty for holding, the tv pundits will then scrutinise every corner and ask why “this, this, and this” wasn’t given as well. Re the moving the ball forward 10 yards for dissent. This was simply a trial and only happened in the Prem,it lasted 4 years and was scrapped. Some teams took advantage of it and deliberately took a yellow card, this so the referee had to move the ball 10 yards closer to goal, making it harder for some of the free kick experts to get the ball up and down over the wall. At the end of the day referees cannot win, if they clamp down hard on certain things the fans complain. When they don’t, the same fans complain!. Who would be a referee, no wonder they are quitting in their droves. Some local leagues are struggling to get refs, the abuse and the violence against them just isn’t worth the £25, so they are just walking away. It’s funny, because there are so many “experts” out there, but not many who will go out and put their expertise into practise!!.

Sun bins are being used in the lower leagues, this has been going on for the last 3-4 seasons.

Probably because he isn’t watching the incident from a tv camera giving a view that he will never have. If he has the use of about 15 camera angles rather than the ‘one’ he had, he is going to use them.

Beirut looks nicer!

I’m guessing you haven’t been to Bridgwater then!

Yeah, just imagine if he had called us ‘Bristol’ !!.

The only keeper I’ve seen where it seemed he had a trampoline as a 6 yard box. His agility was amazing.

Why are a lot of our fans paranoid, I can’t see anything untoward in what he says.

Would be nice to see someone actually have a shot from outside the box!.

In the interview I heard Tinman give, he stated that 3 were just about done deals. These 3 were players who have been playing below the Championship for a few years, and players that haven’t been given the chance ( yet) to play at a higher level.

WTF!. Edit, just noticed this has already been posted!.

I’m sure if you can do better than “the clowns last night” you could volunteer to run the line somewhere this weekend!. Clubs are always looking for expert linesman!.

That’s because they communicate on their intercoms. They would have discussed it.

That stat is just ridiculous, football needs some kind of a reset, a reality check. 18 managers sacked in 7 months, madness.

North Riding is the area they are being trialled.