No contact please!
by Herr DannyI am very happy with the first week of FIFA’s trial of a yellow card being shown every time a foul is committed. There can’t be many fans around the world whose enjoyment of the competition has been anything but increased by this wonderful development.
The days of one or two yellow cards per game are fortunately long gone. Who wants to see referees taking the severity of each offence into account before deciding if a booking is necessary? If a player is stupid enough to go near an opponent and therefore commit an offence, he cannot expect to walk away unpunished.
Thank you FIFA.
June 15th, 2006 at 8:59 pm
I reckon players should ask the ref’s permission before putting in a challenge. Simple but effective.
June 16th, 2006 at 10:02 am
In an ideal world Wes that system would work, but in this modern age it’d be a slippery slope to filling forms in triplicate to the FA, UEFA and FIFA before coming within 5 yards of any other player.
Burly centre backs will become a thing of the past as their no-nonsense approach to tackling becomes an outdated skill and they find themselves replaced by weedy fellows who can type 50 wpm and know how to do back to back copies on the photocopier.
June 16th, 2006 at 10:39 am
Maybe one player for each team could be given the job of team secretary and could carry around a satchel of ‘tackle requests’ from each player. At the relevant moment the secretary would pass the note to the ref who would either permit or turn down the request depending on a number of factors. This would make everything much simpler and more user friendly.
The job would have to be given to a very fit player with a persuasive manner.
June 16th, 2006 at 10:44 am
I think the way things are going the word ‘foul’ will soon be expunged from the football lexicon. A slightly mistimed tackle will simply be known as ‘a yellow card’.
June 16th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
You might not be far wrong. I can see a new card being brought in, possibly a white card, that is shown for common or garden fouls. Three of those and you’re off.
I’m not sure how many yellow cards have been shown so far in this World Cup but it has certainly become infuriating that each time a player goes to ground the nearest player receives a card. I agree with the clampdown on time-wasting and encroachment but the rules deciding what merits a booking must be reviewed.
June 16th, 2006 at 9:38 pm
Rafael Marquez of Mexico should be given a red card on the team bus right now for, well everything really including the ponytail, his punchable face and getting everyone who came near him booked. If refs are going to fall for the antics of this contemptable clown I may have to write a strong letter to FIFA. A very strong letter mind. I will.
June 17th, 2006 at 9:49 am
I’ll hand deliver it for you Len!
Other punchable clowns in this World Cup include Nedved, Frei, C Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic and Iaquinta.
June 20th, 2006 at 8:43 am
Maybe we could have a punchable clowns first XI? Or a punchable clowns version of Der Spiel?