Recent content by RustyRef

Football has gradually moved to a more legal basis, with solicitors now being involved in serious cases. This makes it like the British legal system, where pleading guilty at the first stage of proceedings leads to a 33% reduction in the sentence. It's an incentive to admit guilt, and not...

I don’t think so, the value of the World Cup without European nations would be a fraction and remove any interest for the investors.

It is very different to the 8 second keeper release law though, you can't blow the whistle there as the ball is live. At throw ins and goal kicks it is dead so I guess the idea of blowing the whistle is to get their attention to make sure they know the count down is starting. I do agree though...

I fully suspect that if you took that approach in England the clubs would either grudgingly comply whilst marking your card or just get someone else to do it. Either way you'd be on a hiding to nothing when you do referee them in a competitive match, there's every chance they'd remember and...

Different country, different expectations. I can’t ever remember getting team sheets in friendlies, even when step 2 teams were involved. And at lower levels there’s every chance the clubs haven’t even been issued their team sheet books yet.

Think about why team sheets are required, it isn't a LoTG requirement and rather is down to competition rules, there are lots of competitions that don't require them. Friendlies are non-competition games, therefore there are no rules that could require team sheets to be provided. If you don't...

My message to captains and managers before pre-season friendlies has always been “I’ll manage what I can but I can’t manage the unmanageable” If it’s SPA or even some dissent I might set a higher bar, but if they snap someone in half or punch someone they are gone.

We all know that the English game has been traditionally based on a physical style rather than necessarily high levels of technical skill. But I'd say that was more club level than International, I can remember lots of games where England have been very physical but none where they have...

100%, they are effectively different games, and that isn't a new thing, has been like that ever since I started refereeing nearly 30 years ago. When you first start refereeing you are officiating players who pay to play. Get to L4 (in England) and they won't pay but are possibly just getting...

There's a huge difference between physical play and downright thuggery, and Argentina's play was on the wrong side of that line. Especially the shenanigans after the game, not just the violent conduct by Parades (and at least one coach), but also the childish turning their backs on the Spanish...

Nice conspiracy theory. Doesn't really work though given Argentina got 5 yellow cards and a red, and Spain had zero cards.

Because is isn't a clear & obvious error. I don't think it was a foul, but he gave it on pitch and the attacker definitely trod on the defender's foot so it can't be a C&O error.

Assuming that is a recent video surely the subs shouldn't be warming up there? Pretty sure they warm up on the other touchline now opposite AR2? It doesn't look great, but ultimately they shouldn't be in his way and if they on his line it is inevitable there will be a collision at some point.

Yes, but you are comparing apples with oranges. What fans can bring into stadiums is down to the local authorities, probably with FIFA mandates to follow, but it isn't really anything to do with FIFA. To be clear, the White House saying that showing a flag is OK doesn't mean that FIFA say it...

Because FIFA effectively subcontract the stadiums and therefore are in charge of them. Same as is you or I hired a venue for a birthday party or leaving do, we'd control who was and wasn't allowed in there.