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And a bunch of tulips for each keeper at match end if they haven’t infringed 👏😀

You’re right, it’s not in the least bit complicated for any one individual referee. However, unless there is a decent amount of consistency and coordination across referees, then it risks becoming confusing, complicated and frustrating for players and teams … especially goalkeepers!

Whilst sometimes we question the clarity of players’ thinking, to suggest that any defender would actually intend for the ball to hit their hand in this scenario (with the GK well positioned) would stretch credulity! In that sense, it’s clearly not deliberate .. but is the result of a clearly...

As far as I'm concerned, it's a completely acceptable / natural arm position for the body movement being undertaken. However, deliberately moving your whole body, including the arm, towards the flight of the ball like that, runs the risk of the ball coming into contact with the arm. The...

I agree with you, he has done neither of those things. It's therefore not an 'unnatural position' handball IMO. However, I believe this was correctly classed as a 'deliberate' handball because of the clear movement of the arm towards the ball .. the fact that the arm movement was accompanied...

I just said I didn't excuse it 😀😀😀. The cameras are set up to accurately gauge offside. They are not set up to accurately measure 1m at random points on the pitch so it becomes subjective. And for the avoidance of doubt, I have never been a fan of VAR and believe it creates more problems...

I in no way excused it. But mistakes can and will regrettably happen whether you have one official on the game or a dozen! Based on that (helpful) still, my best estimate would be that there is a little under 1m at the exact kick point. But judging this live would be very hard and I certainly...

Certainly looks like the offence was missed (rather than ignored!) for the Chelsea goal. In the first one, the question is whether the sixth Arsenal defender (that the two Utd players are close to) actually forms part of the wall or is separate to it … IMO, the latter, just!

I agree with the approach that punishing non verbal disagreement is more important and more sellable. I agree with the mindset that football at the higher levels should prioritise the overall spectacle rather than the sensitivities of the officials. But I’m also delighted that we’re seeing a...

As a referee tutor, this is part of what we are guided to instruct new starters. As someone who runs the promotion scheme in my county, it’s how I guide the promotion candidates. It’s clearly mirrored in the advice being given by the FA to Level 3’s and Level 4’s. And it’s most definitely...

I think the paying public prefer a good entertaining spectacle and would complain bitterly if a player from their chosen team was sent off for something non obvious and not dangerous. The guidance, top to bottom, is that dissent is OBVIOUS disagreement with a referee’s decision. Whilst this can...

On the other thread relating to this topic, I posted the IFAB guidance from a recent Facebook post of theirs. This is driving the guidance given by PGMO, FA and County associations. Should it have been written into the law, absolutely. But neither is it ‘hidden away’ or difficult to find

And amazingly, despite this more relaxed approach, football is still far and away the biggest global sport / business and this shows no sign of changing. It’s almost as if the powers that be have correctly ‘read the room’ when it comes to what the paying public would prefer and are instructing...

I’m a lowly specialist AR so I don’t get to send people off 🤣. But to compare a highly visual decision seen by absolutely everyone, with some choice words that the vast majority of those in the stadium would have no idea about is just unhelpful and irrelevant. PS if they trusted me with a...

I totally understand the strength of feeling from those that would like to see such language more routinely sanctioned at the higher levels. I do get that the example set can be one of the factors impacting behaviour and expectation at lower levels. However, I’d also ask those people to...

Totally agree. And before someone says 'the officials would get more respect if they didn't (sometimes) stand for dissent', that's simply not the case. If cards were shown more frequently for verbal dissent, we'd instead have ref bashing for the officials "showing no empathy", "acting like...

Overall, we haven't. Looked at more generally, over the last couple of years there's been a marked increase in dissent cautions across the English Leagues. Take Barry Bannan's recent high profile dismissal for Sheffield Wednesday, the first of his cautions was for a case of clear, visual (and...

They failed whom? If you believe they ‘failed’ grassroots refs then I can completely see your point … but it is fundamentally not their role to please that group of people. Did they fail the spectators in the ground or those watching on the TV .. not, in my opinion. And if they are deemed by...