Portland Bill

53 minutes ago, formerly known as ivan said:

This one has always confused me…

If it’s in the halfway line you can take it as quickly as you like, no need to wait for the refs whistle. Why is it so different when it’s outside the box?  You can’t have different rules based on where on the pitch the free kick is, that’s ridiculous.  It should be down to the defending team to stay switched on, simple as.

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, 

7 hours ago, CrackingCheeseGromit said:

Problem is that we are all taught to play to the whistle. If the ref blows to stop the game, surely he has to blow again to restart it. Imagine the same thing happening with a penalty.

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

7 hours ago, Clutton Caveman said:

Anything to stop the constant kicking the ball away and standing too close to the taker would help entertainment.

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

5 hours ago, Sir Geoff said:

I think you are correct. I worded it rule change as couldn't think of an alternative phrase. 95% of the time referees stop quick free kicks or pull them back as nobody was ready. There should be a directive that free kicks can be taken as soon as the team fouled wish.

They can!. 

8 hours ago, Sir Geoff said:

I think  a perfect rule change would be to allow the team with the advantage to be allowed to take the free kick as soon as they like. No need for the other team to be ready (even though they should be) or fussy refereeing waiting til everyone is ready so that he can blow his whistle. It's a free kick stop the ball where the offence occurred and carry on. If you take it before a defender has retreated 10 yards and it hits him tough.

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. 
 

5 hours ago, Midred said:

Perhaps the ref could move the kick 10 yards forward if the offending team insist on standing over the ball.

That’s not in the laws of the game though!. 

5 hours ago, Clutton Caveman said:

Over the last few years, referees have been given the power to stamp our bad behaviour.

Years ago they were allowed to advance a free kick 10 yards for decent. They did it for a couple of weeks and then it disappeared.

Recently we see players booked when more than 2 players approach the ref. This also seems to have died out. Seems to me they cannot complain if they don't maximise rule changes that help them. With recent form they certainly seem to need help.

I think that in any other job you do not have to put up with somebody having a foul mouthed rant at you. Why should refs have to put up with this? Foul and abusive language used to be a sending off offence.

Kicking the ball away was a yellow card. Now when any decision such as a throw in or free kick is given against a player he automatically kicks it away. The only way you get a yellow now is to punt it into the stand.

All of these small things in my opinion detract from the quality of the product and the entertainment level.

As I am venting, can anyone understand why the obstruction rule was phased out? In its day this rule prevented the time wasting around the corner flag made defenders play the ball as it approached the goal line. Again increased entertainment

Finally grappling in the box at corners and free kicks. This is only negative in my opinion. For me any holding using the arms on an player in the box should be a free kick or penalty. This is a fairly recent phenomenon as usual creeping in from from the continent. If this simple rule was applied , entertainment would improve.

Really finally. If Sykes can be retrospectively banned for violent conduct, why can't divers or players who fake facial contact suffer the same fate.

End of rant. 

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!!. 

4 hours ago, Clevedon Red said:

I thought they were trialling sin bins at lower leagues that seems to have died a death as well.

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

52 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

My main question would be why the ref needed VAR to tell him it was handball, one of the more obvious ones you'll see.

Always going to be red in that situation and then Mitrovic's head went, I suspect partly because he knew they should have been out of sight by that point.

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. 

1 hour ago, sticks 1969 said:

Walked down flip flop alley ( St John street) recently how that’s changed over the years 

Beirut looks nicer! 

28 minutes ago, bcfc01 said:

Been to Naples a number of times - but always for one night only (where we stay in the hotel rather than venture out), then onto the ferry or train to get to where we are going.

Dirtiest shithole of a place I've ever visited.

 

 

 

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

23 minutes ago, DaveF said:

Wow our fans are sensitive aren't they? Can't see anything wrong with what he's written to be honest...

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!. 

1 hour ago, CrackingCheeseGromit said:

watching the Blades game tonight it is evident that every time the ball goes out for a throw the lino puts his flag up immediately to indicate which way it goes. That is exactly as it should be. Compare that to the clowns last night, who when the ball went out, every single time, just stand there looking at the ref, who is obviously miles away and has no clue himself. It's almost as if the ref has told the lino that he wants to be responsible for throw in decisions, and only concentrate on offsides. Does anyone know if that is the case with some refs preferring it that way, because it makes it seem as though none of them have a clue every time. Much rather have lino's telling the ref which way the throw is.

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!. 

2 hours ago, Atyeo's Love Child said:

About 45secs before the first goal, a throw in was given to Man City (Dolman side) that was clearly ours... the Linesman waited for the ref to give it to MC  before he raised his flag to agree (totally standard)

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

On 19/02/2023 at 21:18, CodeRed said:

Critchley won his first game in charge of QPR - new manager bounce ? - and hasn't won since in the following 11 games. 

That's 18 out of the 24 Championship clubs who have changed manager since the start of the season ....so far!

Crazy division.

 

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

2 minutes ago, Portland Bill said:

Yes they are, they are being trialled in the Yorkshire area as of the next couple of weeks i think.

It is sad that it’s come to this, but hopefully it will make players think twice before their actions go over the top. 

North Riding is the area they are being trialled. 

4 hours ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

I saw a story yesterday where body-worn cameras are to be trialled for refs at grass roots level. It`s sad it`s come to that but if it helps solve the problem I`m all for it.

Yes they are, they are being trialled in the Yorkshire area as of the next couple of weeks i think.

It is sad that it’s come to this, but hopefully it will make players think twice before their actions go over the top. 

19 hours ago, Gillies Downs Leeds said:

The way football is going there will be nobody wanting to be a referee very soon. Far too much scrutiny of every decision. VAR has made it even worse. Bin it before the game dies.

Referees are quitting in their droves, due to abuse, attacks, lack of respect etc. Leagues are struggling to operate without enough referees coming through.

But, the good news is, we have millions of armchair referees who know far more than anyone!. 

1 minute ago, Robbored said:

It was a combination of poor keeping and a decent free kick. The keeper left way too much space at his near post and Hannibal caught him out. He was too far to his right and couldn’t get across.

Had O’Leary conceded a goal like I’m sure we’d all be really surprised.

Far more than ‘decent’ free kick, he outwitted the keeper and put tremendous pace and accuracy on the ball. No one was expecting it, not just the keeper. 
The keepers position was probably the same as 99% of keepers would take up for that free kick. 

10 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Brum 1 up - piss poor goalkeeping getting beaten at the near post from a long range free kick.

I would rather give big credit to the free kick taker, he hit that superbly. 

16 hours ago, Never to the dark side said:

We have a prem ref for our match on Saturday against Norwich, Chris Kavanagh from Ashton under Lyne, this season ten games 40 yellows and ZERO red cards.not reffed a match since 13 november 2022

 

He isn’t exclusively a Prem referee, this will be his fifth championship game this season. 
Clearly coming back from a long term injury as well it seems.

12 hours ago, And Its Smith said:

37 points from 17 games needed I reckon.  11 wins, 4 draws, 2 defeats…seems unlikely but what is life without hope

I think it’s probable, but also  winning the FA cup could mess the league form up