Rodwell Red Card

[opinions4u]

As usual somebody gets sent of in a Merseyside derby.

 

FIFA and the FA have given out various directives to referees on how to interpret different types of challenge.

 

For me, Rodwell's gone in firm and hard and, most importantly, got the ball. I'm assuming that because he's taken the ball with his studs the referee's sent him off.

 

So what do you think? Is that tackle a red under the current rules? If yes, should the rules be changed to allow such tackles?

 

Me? I'm baffled. I don't know what the rules are anymore.

[rosa]

Haven't seen it yet but local radio said it was a disgraceful decision. Even John Aldridge said it wasn't a red card.

interesting statistic from them though. Apparently there have been 26 red cards in Merseyside derbies. 20 of those have been in the Premiership era. So that's 6 red cards in nearly 100 years, followed by 20 in as many years. Has the game really become that much dirtier in the last 20 years? Are the players far better protected from tackles now? Or are we living in the era of the superstar referee?

[opinions4u]

Haven't seen it yet but local radio said it was a disgraceful decision. Even John Aldridge said it wasn't a red card.

interesting statistic from them though. Apparently there have been 26 red cards in Merseyside derbies. 20 of those have been in the Premiership era. So that's 6 red cards in nearly 100 years, followed by 20 in as many years. Has the game really become that much dirtier in the last 20 years? Are the players far better protected from tackles now? Or are we living in the era of the superstar referee?

These days you get straight reds for tackles / fouls that would have been yellows in the past. Not just the "professional" foul, but also the clattering challenge as well.

 

I do remember the Merseyside derby where Jimmy Case ended Geoff Nulty's career. Yellow card.

 

Kevin Moran's sending off in the 1985 FA Cup Final is about the only straight red I can remember from pre-Premiership days for "serious foul play". All the others were violent conduct - (excluding the early 80s professional foul experiment).

 

I'm not in any way condoning the two footed lunge. But sliding in with one foot, held at it's natural angle (so studs up) and getting the ball, the whole ball and nothing but the ball ... why is this a red card?

 

I appreciate the need to protect the skilful. But one of the greatest skills in football is tackling. At the moment too many good, fair, hard tackles (in my book) result in free kick, players surrounding the referee and squaring up to each other, and red or yellow card from a player who's clear intent was to make a fair tackle.

 

Back to Rodwell. Referees have (if I've understood correctly) been told studs up is a straight red, even if no contact is made with an opponent. I just think the powers that be are totally wrong on this.

[rosa]

I'm not in any way condoning the two footed lunge. But sliding in with one foot, held at it's natural angle (so studs up) and getting the ball, the whole ball and nothing but the ball ... why is this a red card?

 

I appreciate the need to protect the skilful. But one of the greatest skills in football is tackling. At the moment too many good, fair, hard tackles (in my book) result in free kick, players surrounding the referee and squaring up to each other, and red or yellow card from a player who's clear intent was to make a fair tackle.

 

Back to Rodwell. Referees have (if I've understood correctly) been told studs up is a straight red, even if no contact is made with an opponent. I just think the powers that be are totally wrong on this.

Yep, couldn't agree more. No-one wants to see players get injured, no-one's condoning players making leg-breaking tackles, and whoever it was on GMR who defended Jonny Evans' foul that may well have wrecked Stuart Holden's career by saying "You have to go in with your studs up when you're challenging for the ball" is an idiot. But referees/Fifa seem intent on making football a non-contact sport. You have to allow players to challenge for the ball. And too many games are being ruined by referees who want to be the centre of attention.