RateTheRef

In recent matches I’ve seen in the premier league every game there has been a number of players surrounding the referee after a decision hasn’t gone their way. Do we think that the FA/premier league are going to do anything about this?

Do we think that the FA/premier league are going to do anything about this?

No.

They should but so should the referees, instant booking.

Quote from: Mattref20 on Sun 05 Feb 2023 23:02

In recent matches I’ve seen in the premier league every game there has been a number of players surrounding the referee after a decision hasn’t gone their way. Do we think that the FA/premier league are going to do anything about this?

In recent matches I’ve seen in the premier league every game there has been a number of players surrounding the referee after a decision hasn’t gone their way. Do we think that the referees are going to do anything about this?

As employees, if they wish to progress, they will do their employer's bidding who appear not to want proper disciplinary sanctions because it 'ruins the entertainment' factor. Talking to a senior referee recently I detected that there is a willingness on the part of match officials to take a more robust line but they fear it will hamper their progress. Caught between a rock and a hard place. Easy to say that the referees should show independence of mind and act but as in most walks of life, the chasing of promotion tends to trump everything else.

For all the tinkering with the LOAF, lots of annoying, unsporting things could be solved quickly (for the benefit of fair play and a better spectacle) if they were punished consistently, without exception (even if that’s initially numerous YCs, second YCs). It’s done for shirt removal at goals (even if no one really cares about that) and it’s now just accepted. Examples, all players who:

- run over to get involved in an incident and escalate it
- run at / surround officials aggressively to protest / appeal
- follow refs to/from the OFR area
- players faffing around at PK trying to put off penalty taker
- wave imaginary cards trying to get other players carded

FA back refs completely - won’t entertain any complaints about refs who give out cards for these factual things. Everyone publicly warned in advance that refs have been told to clamp down. Make sure it doesn’t happen for a weekend then fizzle out and back to square one. Then up to clubs to self regulate or lose games - won’t need to be lots of cards if professional players adjust and simply don’t do these things.

Won’t happen! PL, run by clubs, don’t want that - want the entertainment and don’t care about the effect it has on refs/games at lower levels.