Two interesting FA Pilot Schemes

[Forever A Shrimper]

I have just attended a referee's meeting last night and two new pilot chemes are being tried out by the The FA in the Essex Senior Leagues:

One.

Being piloted from the 08/09 Season Onwards, if it works, in which only the Captain of the team can talk to the referee!​

Two.​

A complete Zero-Tolerance rule on sweraing. This means any swearing on the field of play, heard by the referee, is an straight Red Card.​

This is not a rumour, this is real.​

-----------------------------------------------------------------------​

Would these schemes work in the football league?​

What do you believe the consequences and connotations of this would be in the higher divisions?​

Would Alan McCormack be screwed?​

 

[fredheim_holm]

I agree in principle, but disagree in reality. Possibly with the swearing, that could work, although leniency may have to be applied to swearing if you get injured, it can just slip out at times.

With the only the captains can speak to the ref, good idea in principle as I say, and I think something like this could work. It just seems a bit too harsh stopping some players airing their views. Respect used like in Rugby would be better.

If it was only captains that could speak to the ref though, Maher would be in such trouble.

 

[OldBlueLady]

This would be most interesting, and the first point is already being trialled voluntarily at Barnet I believe, with some success. Not sure I agree with the blanket ban on swearing, unless specifically aimed at the ref. This would really challenge players' ability to control themselves.

 

[HUTTON]

With the only the captains can speak to the ref, good idea in principle as I say, and I think something like this could work. It just seems a bit too harsh stopping some players airing their views. Respect used like in Rugby would be better.

If it was only captains that could speak to the ref though, Maher would be in such trouble.

The players speak to their captains and then the captains speak to the ref.

 

[Kenny]

I think this certainly needs to come in at grass roots level. There is a respect problem at all levels of society. Bringing something like this in on the football pitch can only help. We need to be rid of these scenes of Rooney and co surrounding the ref whenever he makes a bad shout being beamed into our living rooms.

 

[dashman]

The theory and the practical here are worlds apart.

Luck with it,

Dash

 

[Irish_Shrimper]

Ive spoken about this a few times on here in the past - and as OBL says - Barnet operate this voluntarily, and it has cut down on the bookings - so why not give it a try across the board.

 

[fredheim_holm]

The players speak to their captains and then the captains speak to the ref.

Indeed, that could work, but it almost seems harsh. Maybe im too set in my ways at my tender age.

 

[JD]

Bugger me kev would be happy if he was on the pitch..... can't shut the man up normally!!!

:thump:

 

[Mick]

I have just attended a referee's meeting last night and two new pilot chemes are being tried out by the The FA in the Essex Senior Leagues:

One.

Being piloted from the 08/09 Season Onwards, if it works, in which only the Captain of the team can talk to the referee!​

Two.​

A complete Zero-Tolerance rule on sweraing. This means any swearing on the field of play, heard by the referee, is an straight Red Card.​

This is not a rumour, this is real.​

-----------------------------------------------------------------------​

Would these schemes work in the football league?​

What do you believe the consequences and connotations of this would be in the higher divisions?​

Would Alan McCormack be screwed?​

The Arngrove Northern League had already committed to such a move from next season. Which League or Leagues is it to be piloted in?

Will there be a list provided of those words which are unacceptable?

The main reason we are talking zero tolerance is because the top officials have adopted a complete "laissez faire" approach to bad language and dissent. Rooney is routinely shown being very impolite to match officials who take no action. Is it any wonder this behaviour filters down to grass roots football. I think the FA and County FAs have a bit of a cheek asking grassroots officials to deal with mopping up the mess created by top officials not doing their job. I would not want to be tasked on a Sunday morning with sending a player off who swears mildly after missing an open goal or on receiving a painful injury whilst at the same time Select Group officials turn a deaf ear to being called a "f***ing pr*ck" by the scouse oaf. Yes, let's clean up the game, but you can't start at the bottom and work up. Either do it all at once or start at the top.

Just the captain talking to the referee is fine by me.

 

[Angell Delight]

I have just attended a referee's meeting last night and two new pilot chemes are being tried out by the The FA in the Essex Senior Leagues:

One.

Being piloted from the 08/09 Season Onwards, if it works, in which only the Captain of the team can talk to the referee!​

Two.​

A complete Zero-Tolerance rule on sweraing. This means any swearing on the field of play, heard by the referee, is an straight Red Card.​

This is not a rumour, this is real.​

-----------------------------------------------------------------------​

Would these schemes work in the football league?​

What do you believe the consequences and connotations of this would be in the higher divisions?​

Would Alan McCormack be screwed?​

Hmmmm, certainly interesting initiatives. The first I would possibly be in favour of, the second not so. Would affect me directly though as I am an assistant on the Essex Senior League.

 

[bomma77]

In the Essex Senior League? They'd never complete a game with the amount of swearing that goes on. After every decision all you here the players scream out is REFFFF!

 

[haveaguiness]

the swearing idea should only be if it isdirected at the ref in any way. But some lienancy has to be upheld, sometimes a decision will go against you andyou will give it a little "arrr F*** O**" if you then persist to swear at the ref, you should be sent off, plain and simple.
Captains isthe best idea to speak to the ref, just better wish your team has a level headed captain i guess (king kev would be getting sent off all the time).

As for the grass routes side of the game, i read a few intresting articles about how parents are at the games, and how a girl of 15 got her refs badge, was reffing 7-9 year olds and was so verbally abused that she quit after just one season. At that age it is not the kids, it is their parents that influence them. In alot of leagues around the country are starting a zero tolerance policy at the grass routes, anything other than encouraging and the parent is sent away and fined.

Also another article was about letting kids ref themselves at a young age, it offers more respect as you get older because you can see that you wont get every decision right.

The last idea that i have read about is playing futsal at a young age as opposed to our current 5 a side game. As it is a non contact sport (you can still tackle though just not allowed to touch them) the refs have a much easier time of making decisions and therefore decisions are generally right all the time. Also because the skill level is a lot higher parents tend not to shout and scream so much, which is what casues the kids to be like it in the first place.

I say get rid of swearing and abusing at the refs, i know most of them are rubbish, but how many of us would step out infront of 76,000 at old trafford and give a penatly against the home team???

 

[osymandus]

DOn't they do that in Rugby ?? Only captains speak to Ref's ???

 

[EastStandBlue]

Whole heartedly agree with the Captain ruling. It'd stomp out the disrespect and make the ref's jobs a lot easier, which should help bring in more potential referees.

The swearing act is a bit harder to implement. If it's directed at the ref then fine, but I think it's fine as it is. At the moment you can say "You must have f*cking seen that ref" or "F*ck me, that was blatant" but the line draws at when it's made personal, such as "You blind f*ck, how can you not have seen that?". I think if that was enforced more, you'd see a dramatic decline in that sort of behaviour.

 

[jrwshrimper]

i play under 16 and just the other week my mate swore at the ref and got a straight red. despite the ediots on the other team trying to start fights and shouting out. 'hack them'. i think to ban swearing is silly it cant be done and is a reaction. refs need to stick to the same rules is silly that some allow things that others dont.
only the captin talking to the ref is great though.

 

[adam3811]

yeah, the swearing rule would probably would bring alot of arguments at first.. but if they go through with it.. people will have to stop it

 

[South Bucks Shrimper]

About time!

I remember an under 16 game 30 years ago. The ref called all the players, and parents, together before the game and said that, under the letter of the law, who would not tolerate any swearing. Our keeper slipped as he took a goal kick, said "Oh sh!t" and got booked!

 

[Pubey]

good intentions, probably needs a bit of tweeking IMO... in many other sports, berating of the officials is a serious offense and in my opinion, both dissent and the pressure being put on officials by players across all levels is too much.

"speaking to the referee"... what does this mean? can a player not ask how much time is left to play, or to raise an issue about an object that was thrown at them from the crowd? It might sound like a minor technicality but we have seen too many badly worded laws/directives which have understandably been exploited. Secondly a 'captain' may not always be an outfield player, and so refs wanting to call over the captains like they do in rugby, hockey etc isn't so practical (will slow the game down).

Having played a lot of hockey and being a big fan of their rules... they have a green card (a warning card), a yellow is a 10 min sin-bin (length up to the umpire) and a red card. cards can be issued to captains for the actions of players... so if there is consistent foul-play or dissent then the captain is penalised and expected to control his team.

I think however this is done, it's crucial that the captain is expected to take more responsibility and that the penalities are more harsh for teams and players that constantly pester the referee... it needs a culture change but i believe with well written laws it is possible.

Swearing is part of the parcel of football... and i don't think it will ever leave, but swearing at a player or official should never be tolerated and it's up to the FA and FIFA to draw together some laws that give the refs tools to keep a game of football competitive but sportsman-like

 

[Pubey]

About time!

I remember an under 16 game 30 years ago. The ref called all the players, and parents, together before the game and said that, under the letter of the law, who would not tolerate any swearing. Our keeper slipped as he took a goal kick, said "Oh sh!t" and got booked!

My friend got green-carded in hockey for missing an open goal and shouting "jesus wept!"