Time Wasting

[FOOTBALL CRAZY]

In view of RK complaints about time-wasting, the rules are that the keeper can only hold the ball for six seconds in his hands. I reckon that opposing keepers hold on to the ball for more than this a lot of the time. Could the Northam end start a count from 1 to whatever to put pressure on the referee to control this better. This should then force the keeper to stop doing it. Just a thought.

[Saint Garrett]

Tbf, Forster takes ages too

[benjii]

This rule is never enforced.

 

I do think there is something to be said for a crowd count though over those sort of things. It would certainly put more pressure on the ref to take some meaningful action rather than a token yellow card in the final stages of the game and the occasional point at the watch.

[hasper57saint]

It's not just the keepers.Have a look at throw-ins. Never taken from where ball crossed line,player holds ball aloft until someone in position to receive it and continues looking around until the throw.Which takes bloody ages at times.Our players are as much to blame as any other.

PS. Our 'counting' yesterday had some influence on Fosters yellow because we drew the Refs attention to it.He just couldn't ignore it after a while.Lets do it a little more at St.Marys.

[Deano6]

The six seconds is only when the ball is in play, in the keeper's hands. It doesn't apply to keepers taking a long time over goal kicks, which Foster got booked for. If keepers get pulled up for the six second rule then the award would be an indirect free kick in the area, which is why a ref would never give it.

 

Also, the worth remembering:

 

- the counting does not begin until the keeper is in possession of the ball and ABLE to think about releasing it into general play. Not when he first catches it / is getting up from the floor.

 

- football fans can't keep time (as is evident from any rendition of OWTS at St Mary's). Also fans have an interest in rushing the count ("not my tempo").

 

- referees are advised to apply discretion in applying this rule, which is normally for a trivial offence. I thought the red did well yesterday to eventually award a yellow for one too many incidents on the goal kick

[Golden Balls]

I seem to remember Pelle counting with his hands held aloft earlier in the season which hurried the keeper along. Can't hurt if the Northam started doing it when a GK is taking the ****.

[shurlock]

I seem to remember Pelle counting with his hands held aloft earlier in the season which hurried the keeper along. Can't hurt if the Northam started doing it when a GK is taking the ****.

 

That's what our lot was doing for most of the game, even if our definition of 20 seconds felt at times like nanoseconds WBA then started to boo us ironically whenever we were taking a goal kick or throw in, as if they weren't the only ones wasting time.

[bridge too far]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/11826187.Saints_goalkeeper_Fraser_Forster_sends_jokey_text_to__time_waster__Ben_Foster/

[shurlock]

- referees are advised to apply discretion in applying this rule, which is normally for a trivial offence. I thought the red did well yesterday to eventually award a yellow for one too many incidents on the goal kick

 

 

Are you serious? It was absolutely cynical from the off; even Koeman, usually pretty mellow in three circumstances, was complaining. Dowd bottled it. Seen L1 refs treat time wasting with far greater intelligence and decisiveness - Brighton's Ankergren was a master of it; but was still cautioned enough times. Still pîśšed off that the replacement ref missed Gardner blatantly punch the ball away as it was being thrown over to them for a free kick.

Edited 1 March, 2015 by shurlock

[Reggie Dunlop]

The red was tapping his watch in the 14th minute indicating get a move on, they continued throughout to do exactly the same before and after Foster was booked, I paid to watch ninety minutes of football but would of been lucky to of seen three quarters of that!!

[warsash saint]

Foster was time wasting after 20 mins of the home game as well!!

[Bloo71]

I'm surprised that more fuss hasn't been made of this as it has become more prevalent over the last few years. I'm not a Saints fan and didn't see yesterday's game but Pulis' teams have been the worst ones for doing this. His teams, when playing away from home especially, even do it while the game is still scoreless! It is up to the refs to cut this out as you don't see the European refs being so lenient. Players pretending to pull up their socks (though there's no need) at set pieces, straightening up and then pretending to prise out some imaginary mud sticking to their studs. Keepers kicking the ball out from the other side of their line to where the ball has gone out..that rule needs to be changed again. Players kicking the ball away at throw ins (as long as its not too obvious) has become the norm. Players taking an eternity to come off when being subbed....not to mention bringing someone on in the 90th minute. Needs to be tackled if we want to he PL to still be thought of as the most exciting league in the world...if not the best technically.

P.S....Phil Dowd is the worst ref for allowing time wasting as I genuinely think he uses it as a chance to have a breather. Baffles me as to the standard of the referring fitness test if he can pass it year after year.

[cellone]

I'm surprised that more fuss hasn't been made of this as it has become more prevalent over the last few years. I'm not a Saints fan and didn't see yesterday's game but Pulis' teams have been the worst ones for doing this. His teams, when playing away from home especially, even do it while the game is still scoreless! It is up to the refs to cut this out as you don't see the European refs being so lenient. Players pretending to pull up their socks (though there's no need) at set pieces, straightening up and then pretending to prise out some imaginary mud sticking to their studs. Keepers kicking the ball out from the other side of their line to where the ball has gone out..that rule needs to be changed again. Players kicking the ball away at throw ins (as long as its not too obvious) has become the norm. Players taking an eternity to come off when being subbed....not to mention bringing someone on in the 90th minute. Needs to be tackled if we want to he PL to still be thought of as the most exciting league in the world...if not the best technically.

P.S....Phil Dowd is the worst ref for allowing time wasting as I genuinely think he uses it as a chance to have a breather. Baffles me as to the standard of the referring fitness test if he can pass it year after year.

All fair points. Who do you support and why are you here.

[Redslo]

This rule is never enforced.

 

I do think there is something to be said for a crowd count though over those sort of things. It would certainly put more pressure on the ref to take some meaningful action rather than a token yellow card in the final stages of the game and the occasional point at the watch.

 

It was called in the Olympic woman's semi-final between Canada and USA. It was a decisive but unpopular call.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/sports/olympics/referees-call-in-womens-soccer-semifinal-prompts-debate.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[Goatboy]

All fair points. Who do you support and why are you here.

 

Bloo is a cardiff fan. More the merrier? I is a friendly goat.

[Charlie Wayman]

Time wasting? Crap Referees? Parking the Bus? These are reasons why we are no longer scoring goals an winning games?

 

Come off it lads, these are nothing more than pathetic excuses for poor play on our part. Fact is we seem clueless at braking down packed defences and most teams in the PL have good enough players to defend well these days. The real problem as we know is our attackers just aren't performing at the level needed to break down defences. What worries me is that is beginning to look the same week in week out, we don't seem to learn anything new on the training ground like Pelle becoming mobile and running in behind defenders or out to the flanks to draw the CBs away from the centre in the way that Lambert learned to do when he was man make out of the game.

[Whitey Grandad]

It was called in the Olympic woman's semi-final between Canada and USA. It was a decisive but unpopular call.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/sports/olympics/referees-call-in-womens-soccer-semifinal-prompts-debate.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

As a ref you'd normally give a warning or two before punishing a keeper for this. The Laws used to say 'about six seconds'. The 'about' has now been removed. A few seasons ago I used to watch this at the Premier level and the average time of possession of a keeper was about twelve seconds.

[The9]

The red was tapping his watch in the 14th minute indicating get a move on, they continued throughout to do exactly the same before and after Foster was booked, I paid to watch ninety minutes of football but would of been lucky to of seen three quarters of that!!

 

I don't know how to break this to you, but the ball is rarely in play for much more than 60 of those 90 minutes in ANY match, never mind one where a team is actively wasting it.

[Graffito]

The red was tapping his watch in the 14th minute indicating get a move on, they continued throughout to do exactly the same before and after Foster was booked, I paid to watch ninety minutes of football but would of been lucky to of seen three quarters of that!!

 

I noticed Pulis was tapping his watch as well. Really. Perhaps his watch had stopped.

[Whitey Grandad]

I noticed Pulis was tapping his watch as well. Really. Perhaps his watch had stopped.

 

Probably reminding his players to waste more time,

[Lord Duckhunter]

I agree with all the moaners on here. Had foster not wasted so much time Pelle would have had more time to miss at least 2 more sitters.

 

The simplest way to stop the opposition time wasting is to score first.

[Saint IQ]

If we went 1-0 up early on against a top half team we would do the same

[Valesaint]

Mignolet is the worst offender that we see at St Mary's. But I agree that Forster (not Foster) seems to be just as bad and he is ours!

[Lord Duckhunter]

I thought Forster's time wasting was horrendous in the last few mins last night. Really surprised Palace didn't make more of a fuss. It obviously didn't last as long as Fosters , but then we weren't in the lead as long. I presume the moaners on here were upset about it, or is our time wasting OK?

[warsash saint]

I can fully understand time wasting to run down the clock as per Forster last night BUT I think the point here is that WBA were time wasting after only 12 mins!!!

[benjii]

I thought Forster's time wasting was horrendous in the last few mins last night. Really surprised Palace didn't make more of a fuss. It obviously didn't last as long as Fosters , but then we weren't in the lead as long. I presume the moaners on here were upset about it, or is our time wasting OK?

 

Not sure what your point is? He should have been booked but wasn't - which, I thought, was exactly what most people are saying: that referees do not do enough to stop time wasting.

[VectisSaint]

Not sure what your point is? He should have been booked but wasn't - which, I thought, was exactly what most people are saying: that referees do not do enough to stop time wasting.

Interesting that Forster was time wasting in the last few minutes. 4 minutes of added time could only have been to compensate for the time wasting by Speroni (and others) in the first half. So although I don't condone time wasting by anyone it was karma last night. Speroni's tactics fr time wasting were very devious, making sure it looked like he was getting on with it when the ref was looking and waiting for the ref to look the other way. To be fair to Speroni he is not the worst culprit seen, but indicative of the issue these days.

[Deano6]

Interesting that Forster was time wasting in the last few minutes. 4 minutes of added time could only have been to compensate for the time wasting by Speroni (and others) in the first half. So although I don't condone time wasting by anyone it was karma last night. Speroni's tactics fr time wasting were very devious, making sure it looked like he was getting on with it when the ref was looking and waiting for the ref to look the other way. To be fair to Speroni he is not the worst culprit seen, but indicative of the issue these days.

 

4 mins added time in second half is absolutely standard in any game, as is 2 mins in first half (not really sure why it would be different, other than nobody really gives a sh!t in the first half). Any time wasting in the first half would have been addressed in the added time at 45 mins, not added on at the end.

[Whitey Grandad]

4 mins added time in second half is absolutely standard in any game, as is 2 mins in first half (not really sure why it would be different, other than nobody really gives a sh!t in the first half). Any time wasting in the first half would have been addressed in the added time at 45 mins, not added on at the end.

 

This. With all the subs and the goal celebration 4 minutes is not unusual and as you say, first half stoppages are dealt with at the end of the first half.

[The9]

I didn't see much of the West Brom match, but having seen what Pelle was doing against Palace by hovering near the keeper as he kicks the ball - if he was doing that against West Brom I'm not surprised the ref didn't penalise Foster for timewasting. Every time he goes near the keeper he's potentially resetting that 6 second clock. The laws are pretty clear that players are not allowed to challenge the keeper in possession of the ball, and "closing him down" as he's about to kick is impeding his ability to clear the ball. Under those circumstances the keeper gets his 6 seconds all over again.

 

It's completely counterproductive, as if he actually manages to get in the way (which he is clearly trying NOT to do, just to make the keeper think about his presence), Pelle will be booked anyway. He's actually raised his foot once or twice to mimick blocking the clearance, which is more than enough to get booked nowadays.

[The9]

4 mins added time in second half is absolutely standard in any game, as is 2 mins in first half (not really sure why it would be different, other than nobody really gives a sh!t in the first half). Any time wasting in the first half would have been addressed in the added time at 45 mins, not added on at the end.

 

This. With all the subs and the goal celebration 4 minutes is not unusual and as you say, first half stoppages are dealt with at the end of the first half.

 

It used to be the case that when time was added was at the ref's discretion and they were allowed to add first half injury time on at the end of the game, though it appears to have been standardised, thoguh the Laws only say:

 

"Allowance for time lost

Allowance is made in either period for all time lost through:

• substitutions

• assessment of injury to players

• removal of injured players from the fi eld of play for treatment

• wasting time

• any other cause

The allowance for time lost is at the discretion of the referee."

 

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/footballdevelopment/refereeing/02/36/01/11/27_06_2014_new--lawsofthegameweben_neutral.pdf

[Chez]

I bloody hate all this time wasting from both sides. It's right up there with diving, managers blaming refs and anything else that has/and continues to contribute to changing a loved sport into a slightly loathed `business'.

 

We pay a fortune to see actual football (that's players kicking a ball about), not players thinking about taking a throw in only to decide to drop the ball to let someone else take it, players nudging the ball away just enough to stop quick free kicks, bit not booted away s they get yellow cards (if they nudge it away and it slows things down even a fraction yellow card the bastards) players chasing and surrounding/arguing with the refs over every big decision, goalkeepers retrieving balls and then walking to the far side of six yard boxes to take goal kicks (why on earth did they change the rule about having to take goal kicks from the side it went out?), refs not allowing quick free kicks because the foul was committed two feet to the left of where it was taken (if goal kicks can be taken either side who gives a **** where free kicks are taken if its miles away from the goal. Also, if the ball is rolling when the free kick is taken who really cares? Just allow it so we can see more of that football stuff. Refs counting out ten yards and spraying white lines for every single free kick takes more time, as does refs giving players lectures (what is the point of that, either give a yellow or a red or don't. This isn't school, with players needing lectures - use the f'in cards or don't.

 

We want to see football, not all this other gubbins. Fans are being badly short changed and its getting worse.

 

By the way the crowd is actually better off not moaning about time wasting as all that happens is it leads to refs running all the way from the half way line to speak with the keeper to give them a warning. That wastes about 30 seconds, and then repeat that a little later for the actual booking. So by drawing attention to it (no matter how annoying it if for me and you) it actually helps the opponent waste about a minute, just at the cost of a yellow card. The same applies to taking throws in the wrong place - who ****ing cares? Just get that ball back into play ASAP so we can see some football.

 

At £50 a game the time has come for a clock to start and stop when we don't have actual play.

 

Actually, scratch that. If we have a stopwatch system they will just introduce lots of short breaks that they can slot adverts in.

Edited 5 March, 2015 by Chez

[Torres]

Spot on Chez, but who really cares about the fans?

[Sour Mash]

This. With all the subs and the goal celebration 4 minutes is not unusual and as you say, first half stoppages are dealt with at the end of the first half.

What I never get is there is so little variance in the time added on at the end of games, basically always 4 minutes pretty much every match, regardless of time wasting, injuries, goals scored, subs, only really goes up if there has been a really long stoppage. Never just see "2 mins" added on or "7 mins" held up by the 4th ref.

[Sour Mash]

I didn't see much of the West Brom match, but having seen what Pelle was doing against Palace by hovering near the keeper as he kicks the ball - if he was doing that against West Brom I'm not surprised the ref didn't penalise Foster for timewasting. Every time he goes near the keeper he's potentially resetting that 6 second clock. The laws are pretty clear that players are not allowed to challenge the keeper in possession of the ball, and "closing him down" as he's about to kick is impeding his ability to clear the ball. Under those circumstances the keeper gets his 6 seconds all over again.

 

It's completely counterproductive, as if he actually manages to get in the way (which he is clearly trying NOT to do, just to make the keeper think about his presence), Pelle will be booked anyway. He's actually raised his foot once or twice to mimick blocking the clearance, which is more than enough to get booked nowadays.

He's hovered around the keeper after originally going to close the ball/make the keeper pick it up a couple of times, not really a big deal and not the cause of 90% of time wasting.

 

Both the West Brom and Palace games the opposition were time wasting from the start, used to be the last 5 or 10 mins maybe, never seen it as systematic from the start as that. Big compliment to us though.

[Torres]

I'd take responsibility for timekeeping away from the referee, give it to an official timekeeper sat in a TV truck and have him stop and start the clock when play stops for "injuries", substitutions and streakers and have him tell the ref when actual time was up at the end of each half.

[Graffito]

Only legal time wasting allowed. Possession football. Considering we play the ball so much across the back four and across the midfield we ought to have dealt better with the 4 minutes added time on Tuesday night but these skills simply deserted the players. It's a game played in the head.

[The9]

He's hovered around the keeper after originally going to close the ball/make the keeper pick it up a couple of times, not really a big deal and not the cause of 90% of time wasting.

 

Both the West Brom and Palace games the opposition were time wasting from the start, used to be the last 5 or 10 mins maybe, never seen it as systematic from the start as that. Big compliment to us though.

 

He certainly contributed to it against Palace when Speroni had the ball in his hands.

[Whitey Grandad]

It used to be the case that when time was added was at the ref's discretion and they were allowed to add first half injury time on at the end of the game, though it appears to have been standardised, thoguh the Laws only say:

 

"Allowance for time lost

Allowance is made in either period for all time lost through:

• substitutions

• assessment of injury to players

• removal of injured players from the fi eld of play for treatment

• wasting time

• any other cause

The allowance for time lost is at the discretion of the referee."

 

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/footballdevelopment/refereeing/02/36/01/11/27_06_2014_new--lawsofthegameweben_neutral.pdf

 

It's always been accepted and is understood that the time has to be added on to either half as necessary. You can't lump it all on at the end of the game because there may be environmental factors such as a strong wind, low sun or even an influential crowd behind a goal. The idea is to give each team half of the match kicking in each diretion.

[benjii]

I bloody hate all this time wasting from both sides. It's right up there with diving, managers blaming refs and anything else that has/and continues to contribute to changing a loved sport into a slightly loathed `business'.

 

We pay a fortune to see actual football (that's players kicking a ball about), not players thinking about taking a throw in only to decide to drop the ball to let someone else take it, players nudging the ball away just enough to stop quick free kicks, bit not booted away s they get yellow cards (if they nudge it away and it slows things down even a fraction yellow card the bastards) players chasing and surrounding/arguing with the refs over every big decision, goalkeepers retrieving balls and then walking to the far side of six yard boxes to take goal kicks (why on earth did they change the rule about having to take goal kicks from the side it went out?), refs not allowing quick free kicks because the foul was committed two feet to the left of where it was taken (if goal kicks can be taken either side who gives a **** where free kicks are taken if its miles away from the goal. Also, if the ball is rolling when the free kick is taken who really cares? Just allow it so we can see more of that football stuff. Refs counting out ten yards and spraying white lines for every single free kick takes more time, as does refs giving players lectures (what is the point of that, either give a yellow or a red or don't. This isn't school, with players needing lectures - use the f'in cards or don't.

 

We want to see football, not all this other gubbins. Fans are being badly short changed and its getting worse.

 

By the way the crowd is actually better off not moaning about time wasting as all that happens is it leads to refs running all the way from the half way line to speak with the keeper to give them a warning. That wastes about 30 seconds, and then repeat that a little later for the actual booking. So by drawing attention to it (no matter how annoying it if for me and you) it actually helps the opponent waste about a minute, just at the cost of a yellow card. The same applies to taking throws in the wrong place - who ****ing cares? Just get that ball back into play ASAP so we can see some football.

 

At £50 a game the time has come for a clock to start and stop when we don't have actual play.

 

Actually, scratch that. If we have a stopwatch system they will just introduce lots of short breaks that they can slot adverts in.

 

 

Agreed, and those problems could all be sorted quite easily by stricter refereeing. No rules would really need to be changed, just interpreted more stringently and yellow cards issued. I would rather see someone booked for time wasting or delaying a free-kick than for being a split-second late for a tackle.

 

It's purely a culture of tolerance from officials that allows this. The same as having players scream in your face and just walking it off. Book them! Jordan Henderson, Kevin Nolan, Wayne Rooney... budgies like those should be booked at least twice every match.

[Chez]

I'd take responsibility for timekeeping away from the referee, give it to an official timekeeper sat in a TV truck and have him stop and start the clock when play stops for "injuries", substitutions and streakers and have him tell the ref when actual time was up at the end of each half.

 

clock could be on official scoreboard like Rugby league.

[Chez]

Agreed, and those problems could all be sorted quite easily by stricter refereeing. No rules would really need to be changed, just interpreted more stringently and yellow cards issued. I would rather see someone booked for time wasting or delaying a free-kick than for being a split-second late for a tackle.

 

It's purely a culture of tolerance from officials that allows this. The same as having players scream in your face and just walking it off. Book them! Jordan Henderson, Kevin Nolan, Wayne Rooney... budgies like those should be booked at least twice every match.

 

 

interesting. On the one had we need stricter use of the rules to cut out the things we don't like, like time wasting and swearing at refs, but on the other I'd like to see refs flagrantly ignoring the rules by allowing free kicks etc. to be taken wherever so long as it gets the game started again quickly.

 

MORE FOOTBALL WANTED

[The9]

What I never get is there is so little variance in the time added on at the end of games, basically always 4 minutes pretty much every match, regardless of time wasting, injuries, goals scored, subs, only really goes up if there has been a really long stoppage. Never just see "2 mins" added on or "7 mins" held up by the 4th ref.

 

There's not THAT much variance in the number of subs used (generally 4-6), and unless there's a serious injury you can expect 1-2 minor stoppages, for which they add on maybe 1-2 minutes tops.

 

I've seen a few 3s, I've seen a 12 on tv too (Newcastle Arsenal maybe? They went over 100 minutes), and I once left a 3pm kick off at 5:10pm for a non-league game back when a 15 minute break was a luxury not a given. Serious injury and playing at Old Trafford under Fergie are the only things that'll take a match past 5 minutes. Persistent timewasting might kill 20 seconds per set piece, but you can guarantee it won't amount to more than 2 minutes in the ref's head.

 

I can only imagine how much time was due to be added in the FA Cup game when Muamba collapsed.

[Torres]

Substitutions - as soon as play has stopped after you've indicated you want to make a sub you're given 30 seconds for it be completed. If not, play restarts and you have to wait 5(?) minutes before you can try again.

[Torres]

Agreed, and those problems could all be sorted quite easily by stricter refereeing. No rules would really need to be changed, just interpreted more stringently and yellow cards issued. I would rather see someone booked for time wasting or delaying a free-kick than for being a split-second late for a tackle.

 

It's purely a culture of tolerance from officials that allows this. The same as having players scream in your face and just walking it off. Book them! Jordan Henderson, Kevin Nolan, Wayne Rooney... budgies like those should be booked at least twice every match.

 

And it really wouldn't take more than a couple of weeks for players and managers to wake up to the changes and behaviour to improve significantly. The game would be much better for it.

 

Edit - as for the swearing, the solution is to mic the refs up so that all the swearing could be clearly heard. It wouldn't take long then for the broadcasters and sponsors to demand the language and behaviour was improved.

 

MORE FOOTBALL WANTED c Chez

Edited 5 March, 2015 by Torres

[The9]

Agreed, and those problems could all be sorted quite easily by stricter refereeing. No rules would really need to be changed, just interpreted more stringently and yellow cards issued. I would rather see someone booked for time wasting or delaying a free-kick than for being a split-second late for a tackle.

 

It's purely a culture of tolerance from officials that allows this. The same as having players scream in your face and just walking it off. Book them! Jordan Henderson, Kevin Nolan, Wayne Rooney... budgies like those should be booked at least twice every match.

 

If the refs started enforcing the laws properly there would be much more actual football. Take a throw 10 yards up the pitch? Yellow card. That'll be the last time that happens. Foul throw? I want to see a flag and hear a whistle, give it to the opposition and I hope your manager fines you. Some flexibility is allowed around free kicks but only where the advantage comes from not penalising the attacking side through pedantry, and not where the attacking side massively takes the p155 by taking it from 15 yards away.

 

FWIW I support a rule that teams can take any restart from up to 10 yards BEHIND the point where the infringement or stoppage occurred, but not in front of it. Which should be a yellow card, and shouldn't be a problem if the ref is indicating where the spot of the foul is.

 

The spray and insistence on "ceremonial" free kicks seems to take far too long as well, too many refs have forgotten that attacking teams still have the right to take a quick kick UNTIL they raise their whistle to show the defence is allowed to form a wall and the attacking side has to wait for the next whistle.

[The9]

Substitutions - as soon as play has stopped after you've indicated you want to make a sub you're given 30 seconds for it be completed. If not, play restarts and you have to wait 5(?) minutes before you can try again.

 

Also - no substitutions allowed in added time. For anything.

[Deano6]

Agreed, and those problems could all be sorted quite easily by stricter refereeing. No rules would really need to be changed, just interpreted more stringently and yellow cards issued. I would rather see someone booked for time wasting or delaying a free-kick than for being a split-second late for a tackle.

 

It's purely a culture of tolerance from officials that allows this. The same as having players scream in your face and just walking it off. Book them! Jordan Henderson, Kevin Nolan, Wayne Rooney... budgies like those should be booked at least twice every match.

 

If not more!

[Whitey Grandad]

And it really wouldn't take more than a couple of weeks for players and managers to wake up to the changes and behaviour to improve significantly. The game would be much better for it.

 

Edit - as for the swearing, the solution is to mic the refs up so that all the swearing could be clearly heard. It wouldn't take long then for the broadcasters and sponsors to demand the language and behaviour was improved.

 

MORE FOOTBALL WANTED c Chez

 

Swearing and dissent are a regular complaint amongst local referees. Kids see the bignames doing it on TV and think it's all right for them too. Swearing in itself is not the issue, it's 'offensive, abusive or insulting language'. I used to take the view that if the swearing was incidental and could not be heard off the pitch then I was not too bothered, although other refs think differently. Industrial language is common amongst the sort of lads that I used to handle and usually meant nothing.

 

Miking up the ref would help a lot with public understanding.

[Chez]

Substitutions - as soon as play has stopped after you've indicated you want to make a sub you're given 30 seconds for it be completed. If not, play restarts and you have to wait 5(?) minutes before you can try again.

 

why such a palava for each sub? I like how rugby just gets on with things. None of this checking studs and the linesman man handling the sub. I don't know why lino's think they have a right to put their hands on subs to hold them back from whatever it is. The whole numbers board thing is a load of ******** too. You have the tannoy and your eyes. Use them to see who went off. Just get them on and off quickly. Players should have ten seconds to get off the pitch from the time the ref says subs, if they don't make it off a sniper in the crowd should have the right to take them out. Grrr