| My team selection for this game: Game clock,Technical boxes Replays,Refereeing by committee,Ball boys,Mike the referee up Video replays,Swearing & intimidation,Substitutes,Pushing & shoving Goal kicks |
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Game clock: Take the game clock out of the referee's hands. Give the responsibility to an official in the stands who can stop and start the clock when substitutions and injuries occur. Have this clock displayed to the fans in the stadium and this will stop contention over time added on. In one fell swoop, it will also stop time wasting.
Technical boxes: Remove the technical boxes from the sidelines and require all coaching staff to stay on the bench just like in the times when technical boxes didn't exist. A rule should be implemented that says all coaching staff are required to stay on the bench and if they enter the field of play they will be charged by the FA.
Replays: Get rid of replays. This will have a two benefits. It will limit the fixture congestion players and managers loathe so much. It will take away the option for teams to play for a draw and hope to get a result in the replay at home.
Refereeing by committee: An FA panel should examine the video footage of every game after it has been played. They should be looking to award retrospective yellow and red cards in order to uphold the rules of the game.
Ball boys: Just like in the Champions League, ball boys and girls should be sat on the sidelines with spare balls to throw onto the pitch where appropriate. This will limit time lost to recover the ball when it has gone into the crowd.
Mike the referee up: The main reason the FA don't want to mike their referees up is because they are scared they will lose sponsorship revenue when the fat cats hear the players abusing and swearing at the referees. In rugby union, rugby league and cricket the referees are miked up and no-one bats an eyelid. If referees were miked up then the fans, coaches and players would be able to hear the reasoning for fouls and disciplinary incidents etc. Equally, it would allow the referees to stop using the pointless arm waving gestures and signals they seem to have adopted recently.
Video replays: Implement video replays for goal line and penalty area incidents. The reasons given by the FA for not sanctioning video replays is that it will stop the continuity of the game, which is a ridiculous argument. Television pundits take a matter of seconds to take a look at incidents and give an objective opinion. So why can't the fourth official do the same? If you consider the amount of time referees spend fending off the aggressive protestations of aggrieved players, there is no time differential between the two.
Swearing and intimidation: Players should not be allowed to intimidate and abuse match officials. It doesn't happen in the most violent and aggressive of games such as rugby and American Football, so why is it allowed in football? It is distasteful and harmful to the image of the game and it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. If players surround match officials they should be booked and sooner or later they'd stop doing it.
Substitutes: In games that go into extra time each team should be allowed one more substitution. This will reduce the chance of players sustaining injuries as a result of fatigue and it will stop players who are hurt having to play on through injury.
Pushing and shoving: The FA need to clamp down on players pushing and shoving eachother as a result of poor tackles. The Carling Cup debacle is an excellent example of handbags at 30 yards that got out of hand. There were headlocks, bear hugs and everything except Chinese burns out there. It looked like a playground melee and I'm not sure the punishment dished out by the FA was fit for purpose. All the fans want to see is consistent governance from the FA. Sadly, they don't get it.
Goal kicks: Goalkeepers should be required to take goal kicks from the side the ball went out. The rule was changed recently to allow them to take it wherever they want. The change was made to reduce time wasting but ironically it has simply done the reverse and allowed goalkeepers another method to waste precious seconds by strolling from one side of the six-yard box to the other.
The FA have a responsibility to run domestic football without prejudice and there's alot they can do to convince the fans that this is in fact their prerogative.
