Let’s be honest, we all like complaining about the laws of the game in one way or another and there are some more to have a moan about now following the recent 128th Annual General Meeting of the International Football Association Board in Zurich. The meeting being the first one for football’s rule-makers since it became an independent association under the Swiss Civil Code. The one big downside for us football fans though as far as the hope for common sense is concerned, being that the IFAB is chaired by FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
There was some good news for Efe Sodje though as the IFAB approved the modification to the interpretation of the law which covers the equipment of the players, meaning that both male and female players can now wear head covers. That law change, mainly for religious purposes, having undergone a two-year trial, within certain guidelines of design restrictions. Although the press release from FIFA doesn’t tell us exactly what those design restrictions are, so hopefully someone will take to the field wearing a deerstalker hat on one of those cold winter evenings.
Now it’s onto one of my various hobby horses, which takes in the obsession footballers have with taking their shirt off when they score. So, let’s have a bit of a rant about that first, centuries ago when I was fit, slim and used to play football myself, as a (crap) striker, I never once considered taking my shirt off when I scored. I really don’t get the reasoning behind it at all, particularly given you know you are going to get booked when you do it, which makes it even more stupid. I can’t think of any other sport where it’s done either, so pack it in if you don’t mind.
Anyway, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke can tell us about the law change: “From now on there can be no slogan or image whatsoever on undergarments even good-natured ones. This will apply from June 1 and will be in force for the World Cup. It's easier to say no, sometimes, we are criticised for saying no but what is the definition of a nice message?" So, that makes it even better for an old curmudgeon like me, a yellow card for taking your shirt off and no slogans on the undergarments, we just need to get players wearing blazers and ties now.
A couple of things meanwhile are in the trial stages, with rolling substitutes in amateur and recreational football being continued with the results set to go before the IFAB next year, the idea for rolling substitutes at that level having come from the English and Scottish Football Associations. Another trial going on as I type being that of the wearing of electronic performance and tracking systems during matches to monitor player performance, that currently taking place across women’s football in the Algarve Cup in Portugal.
More now on the disciplinary side of things with UEFA’s submission to have ‘sin bins’ in recreational youth football continuing, as further discussions on that take place following more experiments. UEFA also putting in an important proposal to remove the red card given for any offence denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity inside the penalty area, that much debated law seeing the IFAB decide on this occasion that if red cards were removed it would lead to more cynical fouls taking place, So, that law remains for now with the advisory panel now looking for a better wording on Law 12 for further clarification.
Another much debated law recently has been that of how far we should use video technology, and for some people whether we should use it all. Well, IFAB has for the moment decided that technology should be used only for goal-line incidents as that is a clear yes or no decision in their words, although surely offside decisions on goals are a straight yes or no decision as well? The reason IFAB have stated that video replays won’t be moving on any further though is because of the concern of slowing the game down or increasing the number of stoppages. The way technology is moving on however I would expect further discussion on the subject to come around when the next IFAB AGM takes place in Northern Ireland at the end of February 2015.