Debate: are there any nit-picking rules that drive you nuts?

Having allowed several vicious tackles to pass with a lecture, Alan Wiley (left), the referee, issued the customary booking when Michael Ballack removed his shirt after scoring the first goal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. This is not the half of it.

At Anfield last week an incident occurred that summed up the bogus priorities of modern-day officialdom. Early in the first half of Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final with Liverpool, Ashley Cole, the Chelsea left back, needed to change his boots. He was not trying to waste time, he was not feigning anything, he had a simple equipment problem that he wished to resolve quickly. As he crouched down to tie his laces, Konrad Plautz, the referee, ordered him from the field. Why?

Cole was doing nothing wrong and was not attempting to gain advantage. He was not in a vital area of the field, such as the penalty area or six-yard box. There was not even a need to stop the play, which should have been allowed to go on around him, as it would on a parks pitch. Yet, having ordered him off, Plautz then delayed his return, as if punishment was necessary. It was an infantile episode. No wonder referees often get the big calls wrong, when their thoughts are taken up with so much trivia.

What do you think: are there any nit-picking rules that drive you nuts?

Comments

[seth taylor]

What really annoys me about the game is that when a team is awarded a free kick, the opposition is allowed to 'impede' that free kick by placing a wall in front of it! If a player was running towards goal with the majority of opposition players behind him, why are the opposition then allowed to regroup?

[Quartz]

I would like to change the rule that gives a goalkeeper a red card for handling the ball outside of the penalty area.

Whilst this is a foul, it is not violent conduct, yet some
violent tackles only get yellow cards.

Instead, award a penalty, even though offence is outside the penalty area.
It penalises the keeper and prevents the offence being frequent, and adds excitement to the game.

Yet is not so crazy as to ruin the game by removign a player from field of play for non violent offence.

[CRESCENT]

On penalty kicks, the player fouled must take it, not any player.

[josh]

Scrap offside - how can a rule that results in a travesty like the offside trap (speaking as a Gooner)be part of the game?

The idea that a rule designed to stop goalhanging can stop a perfectly good attack because the striker is a hair's-breadth ahead of the defender is just ludicrous.

[Pip]

The rule I'd most like to see abolished is the one that says players and managers get fined/banned for commenting on a ref's performance after a game. Why does freedom of speech not apply to football?

For the 10 yard rule...give the ref a measure (string, tape, laser-guided pen, who cares). If a team wants the yardage measured, he can do so. If the wall encroaches after a measurement is taken, move it back five more yards as punishment.

[Bill Best]

The biggest frustration to all fans is blatant time wasting and ref's do very little about it. On average the ball is in play for about 65 minutes in supposedly 90 minute match and the average added time is 3 minutes. Clearly something is wrong. There is a fix, ref's should be brave and add on ALL the time (truly) wasted in a game and if that means 10 or even 15 minutes extra so be it. Pretty soon players will realise time wasting doesn't work.
Here's a couple of quick other things we could do.
1. End the rule of a goal kick being able to be taken from any part of the goal area. This was a laudable attempt by the law makers to speed up the game but it is regularly abused by goalkeepers who will always walk the ball to the furthest point possible from one side of the goal to the other - but only when they're winning of course!
2. Why stop the game for substitutions? There is no need for this now that we have a 4th official to administer this. This would stop the use of a player substitution for no better reason than to stop the game. It's not just the '30' seconds that get eaten up. The flow of the game and one team’s momentum is lost. Let the player coming off report to the 4th official who then sanctions the substitutions and the game doesn't need to be stopped.

[Nogbad T. Bad]

The "celebrating a goal rule" must go. The idea is to score goals and as long as it is confined to the players own fans then he should celebrate. The idea that the celebration provokes a riot is ridiculous - you could make the same claim about scoring the goal itself! We have all seen examples where, say, a kid making his debut scores a crucial goal - the greatest moment of his life, no doubt, only to get the wagging finger and yellow card.

[Andy Watt]

Get rid of some of the throw-in rules. Who cares how many feet you have on the ground or whether the ball comes from behind your head or whatever. Just throw the darned thing.

So now some people will be able to throw the ball 70 yards. So what?

[Eduardo]

DIVING: the scourge of football. Divers in the penalty area should be giving a "diving" card (different colour) which will impose a 10 minute expulsion with the follow-up that a second "diving" card will mean final expulsion, and the accumulation consequence of 4 diving cards will have 2 games penalty. Diving can, and does, win matches, and for that reason it will never be eradicated unless we impose harsher consequences. Diving (cheating) is the main reason why parents should consider carefully weather football is the right sport for their children. Maybe it will drive Drogba out of English football.

[Adam Michie]

I don't buy into this, "if you book them for this or punish them for that, eventually they'll learn not to do it". If that was the case, players wouldnt continue taking off their shirts, a good 4 years after the rule was brought in that they'll get booked. Just keep your shirt on! It's not hard. I don't feel the need to whip mine off every time I achieve something.

As for rules id change, kind of an all encompassing rule really. Change every rule that requires the referee to be objective. "is he interfering with play", "is it deliberate" etc. etc. Keeping it black and white is surely much easier. Sir Alex wouldn't be saying, "How can you give that as handball", if it quite clearly struck a hand (deliberate, ball to hand, or any other reason).

[Colin Blues]

I do like the idea of scrapping offside for 1 competition to see how it goes. League cup ideal testing ground. Not only is it pain in professional game when goals ruled on / offside incorrectly, extra burden on officals and has allowed average players to reach the top (Arsenal back 4 in late 90's).

See how it goes becuase it would also solve many issues at grassroots football, where on assistant ref's used!

[Sheikh Asfand Yar]

i would like to see the use of third umpire just like they use in cricket and now in field hockey as well this ll not only take pressure of the ref but will also make a game more fair and champions will be worthy champions

[Bill]

If the ball touches a player's hand it should be hand-ball. Freekick or penalty awarded automatically. This idea that the referee somehow has to read the players mind to uncover whether he did it on purpose or not is a complete farce and leads to inconsistencies - the big gripe we all have.

[Chris - Hong Kong]

Not so much a rule to be scrapped but two rules to be implemented maybe.

As has been commented on here, the level of disrespect to match officials has to be seen to be believed. In fact this is spilling over into some comments by "fans" - referees not up to the job, sack the lot of them, dispense with referees discretion etc etc

So, how to redress?

1. As suggested by another post, the only person allowed to speak to the referee are the respective captains. anyone else says anything to the ref, free kick awarded.

2. Dissent - 10 yards up the pitch, do it again another 10 yards. If this results in the free kick being inside the penalty box then a penalty is awarded. Just see how quickly the players mouths will be zipped (not because they want to but because the managers will make them). Same rule applies to the placing of the defensive wall, if they don't stand where the ref says and stay put then just award the penalty, instantly we will see teams comply with the ref's instructions.

3. Like the idea of a sin bin as well.

[Sam]

Taking off your shirt after scoring springs to mind. I always though the rule was in place so that people watching in less liberal countries did not get offended by a man baring his chest. Surely if this was the case Michael Ballack should not have been booked on Saturday as he was wearing a T-shirt underneath.

[Tom]

I am posting for the abolition of the rule that states a ref's decision cannot be reviewed after a game. For example, a nasty foul (head butt, elbow) that is missed by the ref during the game can lead to punishment of the offender after the game. However, if the ref sees the incident, but only considers the foul to be worthy of a yellow, then no further punishment can take place.

[Adrian]

Hi

Interesting comment about hockey having scrapped the offside law with no ill effects. Until someone tries it, we won't know what will happen. So, let's give it a go in one of the competitions or leagues.

[James Roberts]

There's a consensus emerging here. Generally, all the stupid yellow card offences thought up by overlunched FIFA officials should be scraped - most obviously taking your shirt off.

On the other hand we all want to see harsher treatment meated out to those who seek to influence the game unfairly. Yellow cards as a matter of course for diving, waving imaginary cards, shirt pulling, dissent and (especially), referee abuse.

Why FIFA do not restrict communication with the referee to captains is a total mystery to me. The level of abuse and attempted manipulation, indeed intimidation, is not only a form of cheating but is copied throughout the game to the point that few sensible people would ever want to subject themselves to the personal abuse and (at the lowest levels) potential violence that seem to be regarded as acceptable.

I understand that its been trialled in some of the lower leagues but the example has to come from the very top. As long as people see the likes of Cole,Ferdinand and 'Sir Alex' Ferguson screaming obscenities in officials' faces it simply won't stop.

[Barry Etheridge]

Time wasting of all kinds could be eliminated in one fell swoop if the clock was running only when the ball was in play as with other sports. And we must have video refs under a similar system to American Football, ie. the managers are given a limited number of official challenges, thus preventing spurious time consuming arguments but giving the chance to reverse the absolute howlers.

[Steven McLean]

No substitutions to be allowed once the fourth official has indicated how much time is left at end of the game. Just a total time wasting tactic.

[V. Iking]

Scrap the THROW INS ! Take a leaf from FUTSALS' book and use a kick in (it is football after all) .The current throw gives little if any advantage to the team it is awarded to - especially with man to man marking ?
Wasn't the throw in an afterthought to the original rules anyway?

[Froz]

1. "Shielding the ball" to let it go out for your throw or goal kick. Should be obstruction if you stop a playe from reaching a ball that he could have kept in
2. Over protection of goalies (free kicks in their favour every time they go down during a challenge in the air)
3. Dissent / complaining about decisions, especially when the player was not involved (like mascherena the other week) or when they press gang the ref. Should be booked and ball moved 10 yards nearer to goal
4. Video adjudication for offsides, disputed goals / near goals, off the ball incidents, dives, shirt pulling. Teams should be able to request such an adjudication
5. Cheats should be booked or sent off for diving, shirt pulling, play acting or deliberate malicious fouls (eg leading with the elbow when challenging for a header)
6. Enforce the 10 yard rule. You could do it by a laser or even a flippin tape measure. However they do it, they should work out a way of (a) measuring 10 yards and (b) preventing any encroachment. Players get booked for infringing.
7. Severe punishment for intimidation of refs by managers (like Ferguson). Teasm docked points if found guilty
8. Blantant time wasting, like when a team is 1-0 up with 5 minutes to go and a player goes down for no reason and tries to waste 5 minutes. They know that the ref can never reaslitically add this time back. Player should be booked / sen off and game continues with a free kick to other team. Obviously the entire team will then complain - see rules 3, 6 and 7 for the remedy to this.
9. Retrospective action. If a player is found to have cheated fr instance, then he can be suspended and / or the team can be docked points. Probably wouldn't be needed if you had video adjudication. Similr though to rugby where players can be cied afterwards. Never seems to happen in football if the ref missed it

[Ian Lawson]

Some great points here from all. For me it has to be offside and no interfering with play, as someone has said - if you are on the pitch you are affecting what happens - full stop

[Andy Hillman]

I am against wholesale changes to the game - it's worked well enough for the last 100 years, why the need to go crazy?

the changes that i would implement are much more "procedural" than scrapping the entire offside rule and effectively re-inventing the sport:

1. Scrap yellows for goal celebrations. It's just another attempt to stop people enjoying themselves. Can taking your shirt off genuinely be called "inciting the crowd"?!

2. Retrospective action for bad tackles. And i mean BAD tackles, NOT tackles which the media over hype.

3. I like the idea of the all star game. No one cares about the Charity Shield anyway.

4. Absolutely, positively, definately under no circumstances should video replays be used during the game. causes more problems than it solves.

[Mark]

I think being captain of the team should be given more meaning than wearing an armband and calling tails- they should be the player on the pitch who works with the officials to keep the game respectable.

Any grievances towards the ref during the game should only come from the captain, consequently the ref should approach the captain differently to the rest of the players, communicating with them more as equals, explaining decisions rather than shooing them away.

On the flip-side when in a situation where the ref is being crowded and intimidated by players he should not pick out a handful of the offenders for yellow cards but should give the captain a yellow card for not keeping his team in check ( whether he is involved or not)

[Lee - Brighton]

One thing has really wound me up for years but I have never ever heard anyone else complain about it. It is when a defender is shepherding the ball out of play for a goal-kick when an attacker is trying to get the ball. Without fail the defender shields the ball preventing the attacker getting to it, often quite physically. Anywhere else on the pitch and it's a free-kick but for some reason it is allowed in such cases with zero complaints. It is similar to body-checking an attacker as he runs on to a through-ball - he's trying to legally get the ball but the defender illegally prevents him doing so and that's a foul. Surely I'm not the only one who thinks this.....?!!

[Tony Gee]

There should be no offside when the ball is in the penalty area.

[Paul]

I would add/amend the following:

Instead of the current 5 yellow cards equalling a suspension from season start, there should be a rolling 20/25 games where you cannot get more than 5 yellow cards. If you do you get a 1 match ban. The clean-teams are sometimes punished towards the end of the periods because they more slowly pick up the yellows.

Add a sin-bin. Taking players off for the full game for 2 soft-yellows is frustrating, an option of a sin-bin for x minutes would help calm the players down.

Get rid of the yellow-card for 'over celebrating' rule, it's ridiculous.

Replace the charity-shield with an 'all stars' game - north v south with max of 2/3 players from each club (so it's not just Man U/Liverpool v Chelsea/Arsenal)

[Anthony]

For some time I have considered it unfair that away goals scored in extra time continue to count double. This gives a clear advantage to the team that plays away form home in the second leg. For example, if Chelsea and Liverpool are drawing 1-1 after 90 minutes of the 2nd leg of their Champions League semi-final at Stamford Bridge (a repeat of the 1st leg score), the game goes to extra time. If the score is 2-2 after extra time, Liverpool will go through on away goals despite having 30 more minutes than Chelsea had in the 1st leg to score another away goal. This happened to Arsenal in the semi-final of the Carling Cup in 2006, when Wigan reached the final by virtue of an away goal scored by Jason Roberts in the last minute of extra time. This rule should be changed ASAP so that away goals cease to count double when a game enters extra time.

[Tom Levesley]

Give the fourth official the stop watch, the ref has enough to do. Then he can add the correct amount of time.

Handball is too ambiguous. If it's deliberate you can usually tell (Baros twice in the cup semi) so give a free kick and book them, otherwise let it go.

Revert to the old offside rule then everything else is about enforcement - dissent, tackles from behind, it's all there.

[Whatmighthavebeen Gooner]

1.Not sure if this is a rule,but referees using their discretion! This is what causes the confusion,one rule being interpreted differently in England and Spain or even in the same league by different refs.All rules should be interpreted the same way.
2.Why do players have to leave the field after treatment?It only serves to waste time.

[Scott]

Brian Clough used to say: 'If you're not interfering with play, then you shouldn't be on the pitch.'

The offside rule will be partly sane again if this was applied.

[Joe Skettle]

Football is becoming a joke because of the number of games decided by refereeing mistakes. Here are the changes I would recommend.
1. Scrap the penalty rule, which has become a joke in its application. Replace with an indirect free kick inside the box.
2. Use technology for offside calls that result in a goal, goal line clearances, and other incidents.
3. Put extra officials behind the goals.
4. Use four linesmen (note how linesman fusses when a player is taking a corner on his side, but if corner is on opposite side, there is no linesman to oversee it!
5. Referee must put up the exact amount of extra time to be played, and then must stick to it.
6. Referees must add on the proper amount of time that has been wasted-teams know that if they waste two minutes, ref. will only add on 30 seconds.
7. Referees should not see opposing teams and staff before or after games. This is the "Alex Ferguson" rule-to prevent team staff, especially the host staff, from intimidating officials after the game (and so prevent the host team getting the decisions during the games).
8. Replace complete current list of referees with new ones. The current list are not up to the job.

[Jim Gallagher]

The ball should have to bounce beyond the line to be regarded as out of play. What is the sense of stopping the game for outswinging corners or a player skillfully taking a ball on his chest on the touchline? If the ball bounces out of play it's out - until then let the game continue.........imagine how creative wingers would use that slight advantage when taking on players?

[Neuman]

The refusal to resort to TV replay is absurd and obnoxious. When a decision could and does wreck a match and a season for a team,it is imperative to eliminate such egregious decisions. It also help to improve the integrity of the game in that an official could not claim he did not see properly in the heat of the game.

[Dave]

go back to that great playground inovation , no offsides!!

[Daniel]

One minor change would be on handball. The focus on "intention" is misleading - all this detection of "deliberate" is ridiculous in the pace of the game. It should be simplified to something along the lines of "if the ball hits a players arms outside the shape of his body it is a free kick (but no automatic yellow card and erroneously imply intentional dishonesty)". Simplpy the flight of the ball and the fate of the play has been changed outside the rules of the game and recompense for the team in play is due.
There is too much fussy focus on the impossible notion of "intention" in the regard of handball. Alternatively, if a winger dribbles a ball down the wing badly and it strays out it is a throw-in. I am sure that he did not intend it to go out, but he was not good enough. Hard luck! A striker strays offside unintentionally. Hard Luck! A defender launches into a tackle, it is mistimed and therefore a foul. He didn't intend to foul, he is just not very good at tackling. YOU GET MY POINT!
I bet officals in the game would like to have this clarity.

[Geoff Bethell]

It's surely only a matter of time before incidents which have a bearing on whether or not a penalty or a goal are awarded become examinable by technology. We need to learn from other sports. Yes it will slow down what is a natural free-flowing game, one of football's main attractions, but there's too much at stake these days not to use it.

[Mark]

I agree with Harry, the referee should be able to look through the game again after the match for any acts of simulation. Reds or yellows should then be given to the player without any other alteration to the score.

Trouble is though there will be more criticism of the referee getting it wrong first time round than the player who successfully fooled him.

[Alan C]

This one isnt so much match officials as the administrators.

FIFA have a rule that you can only play for 2 different clubs between 1 July and 30 June. You can be registered with a third one, so long as you dont play for them.

What's the point of the rule, and why isnt it enforced evenly?

In Greece, they decided to enforce the rule rigidly. Olympiacos was awarded the title because Apollon Kalamarias used a player who had already played for 2 teams (Falkirk on a permanent deal, and Hamilton Academical on loan) this season. Olympiacos were awarded the 3 points by officials, despite losing on the pitch, all because of a pointless rule.

FIFA meanwhile have seemingly turned a blind eye to the fact that Crystal Palace is the fourth team that Scott Sinclair has played for since 1 July 2007. If Palace was penalised 3 points per game for each of his 5 appearances, then the play-off race would have a very different complexion. Indeed Palace could theoretically be relegated with 53 points.

So what is more stupid:

The rule?

The Greek FA for enforcing it?

FIFA for not insisting that the Football League enforce it?

Neil Warnock for playing a potentially ineligible player after accusing West Ham of doing so?

[Will Knibbs]

Although it seems a booking for removing your shirt when celebrating a goal is quite harsh, I don't see the problem. The players know the rules and it's their fault if they get booked, especially if they know they're close to a suspension. As for running into the crowd after scoring there is a perfectly good reason for this, it's in the interest of crowd and player safety. The last thing clubs want is injured players or supporters as a result of a moment of madness. The threat of a booking should prove incentive enough to prevent this and I for one feel this is a legitimate reason for a caution

[James D]

Lets see the 10 yard rule increased to 12, so it will actually be 10 and not 8 by the time the freekick is taken. Referees look pedantic moving walls, but its impossible to stop the 'shuffle forwards tactic' thats employed far too often.

[Barrie Collins]

How long have you got? I could go on for hours! Here, in no particular order, are a few of them:

1. Go back to the old offside rule. It worked, and players did not have to guess what the ref was thinking.

2. Allow goalies to pick up back passes. If they delay game afterwards, yellow card and indirect freekick in penalty area.

3. Enforce throw-in laws. About 30% of them today are illegal.

4. Review quarter circle size at corner flags. 90% of corners are taken OUTSIDE them.

5. "Cleverly shepherding the ball out of play" is pure obstruction most of the time. Penalise it!

Etc., etc., etc. If they asked me, I could write a book!

[Gen]

What really gets to me is the officials bottling decisions. For instance, time and again we see a situation where a foul happens right in front of a linesman but more often than not they suddenly become blind, offering no assistance to the referee. Equally, referees themselves will bottle decisions like giving a penalty when a player has been fouled in the box yet outside the penalty box the same foul will earn a free kick!

If they are not brave enough to give a decision because they are afraid of crowd/player reaction then quite frankly they should not be officiating in the first place.

[neil]

just get rid of offside, we did it in hockey a couple of years ago and it changed nothing except it made life easier for the refs and cut down debate. what would they talk about on MOTD without it?

[James]

Andrew, on the offside law, the solution is NOT to revert to the old law where offside is offside. The law in that format was dull and allowed teams to play a tedious offside trap. It also led to ridiculous outcomes such as Danny Tiatto's disallowed goal a few years back, where he ran the pitch, put it in the far corner, but had the goal disallowed because a striker following in was in an offside position. What needs to happen is that the law needs to be tightened up, so that the methods being used to exploit the current laws, ie Jaidi standing in front of the goalkeeper against Liverpool, are eliminated. In a straight choice between the current rules and the old rules, I pick the current rules. If anything, not being entirely sure of what the rules are is much more exciting than watching attack after attack being ended by a ruthless offside trap.

[Murray]

I can't believe there are idiots on this thread who want the offside law scrapped. If it was, half the players would be permanently in each box, they would all be really tall and the ball would be constantly hoofed from one end to the other.

[Jaberwokie swityerland]

I suggest you all wait until the European Cup is played later this year. You will see referees carrying out the laws of the game that I hope will stem over to football in the UK and elsewhere. One rule I would change is for divers - like Man U are famous for. Red card them right away.
Mind you, I am a gooner.

[Harry]

The rule forbidding retrospective action is ridiculous. If dives, rash tackles, abusive language and underhand tactics could be reviewed by an independant video panel and punished afterwards, it would cut short diving and cheating practically over night. As it stands, if Drogba or Ronaldo dive and win a penalty, the FA says the referee saw it and that is that, regardless of whether the referee has been duped. Referees are professional, not infallable. Stupid rules from stupid people and they're ruininng the game. Cheats deserve to be punished. As it is, they're aloowed to flourish at times.....

[alex]

Im content with the system. Obviously, it can be improved, but so can all things. The thing that needs to be sorted out most, and drives me nuts, is the inconsistency in refeeres.

Im not just talking about the difference between Premiership, European and International referees but every god damn referee in the game.

I will use an example that infuriated me recently. The Ars vs Liv CL quarter finals. In my opinion, (by the way i'm a Chelsea fan, not a gooner) Kuyt's foul in the box was a definite penalty. Minimal ball, Hleb taken down, goal scoring oppurtunity pratically certain to arise. The referee didn't give it. Fine, you win some lose some you have to think. Next game, a penalty? Toures touch was a clip, he was trying to overtake more than get the ball, Babel wraps his arm round Toure, falls. Penalty. You win some, you lose some. I don't think so.
Take into context, even individually, the two events and it results in a major swing of how the tie would have unfolded.

Admittedly, it would have been a brave referee to not give that call at Anfield. But so what, the game should be monitored and handled as if it was a closed off exhibition game. Supporters shouldnt influence the refereeing 'elite'.

The reason a variery of rules drive us nuts, (to use an example from the posts below; the foul throws), is because of the referees and their constant inconsistency.

Aside from that, the untouchable nature of goalkeepers in international football infuriates me. If they can't command their area, or they charge/jump into contact, then its just as much their fault as it is the attackers. I've seen too many fouls given because keepers came out and flapped at a corner or cross and missed, ending up sprawling over an attacker or two.

[Dominic]

Carrick's handball was handball - he knew what he was doing. Watch for his reaction when he got caught - he didn't complain, a dead give-away.

[peter godfrey]

Just loose the offside rule completely. If strikers want to goal hang let them. The refs and linesmen make so many mistakes on this rule, which in turn leads to player embitterment. So we would have less agro, games would flow much more - and there would be quite a few more goals, a lot less back passing.
Maybe get a premiere team to have a friendly without the offside rule and see how it went.

[Brian]

I agree with Matt (diving would be reduced significantly if players weren't punished for staying on their feet and if shirt pulling cheating were actually punished) 100 percent. I've been saying this for years.

Other than that, I'd love to see the rule changed so a player can't legally obstruct ("shield") an opponent from playing a ball that's going out of bounds. The rule should be changed so you shouldn't be considered to have possession unless you actually touch the ball.

[Marcus]

I can think of a few things that I'd like to see put into the game. Firstly I think that only the team captains should be allowed to talk to the ref. It is seen far too often that a foul is made and the whole team run at the ref to "help him make is decision".
Secondly I think that throw-ins should be looked at more. Take the throw from where it went out, not 10-15 yards further down the pitch!
One thing that not a rule, but something that winds me up with fans, is when they talk about "dodgy penalties". If the "foul" was committed in mid-field, it would have been given as a free kick, therefore it must be a penalty in the box!

[Francis McKernan]

Foul Throws-either punish them or eradicate the rule.

Fouls in the box = penalties. Not obvious fouls, not denying shooting chances. If its a foul give a penalty. Lets get rid of all this 'soft penalty' nonsense.

[Rita]

The offside rule needs a review. Presently the only thing which determines whether a player is offside or not is the ref's whistle. How can a linesman be watching the last kick and where the attacking player is standing at the same nano-second?

[Matt]

I've long said you penalise for shirt pulling, ESPECIALLY on corners and free kicks near the box you'll be able to identify the divers more. So penalise the shirt pullers, its not a contact sport you can't grapple you're opponent.

Also something needs to be done about awarding penalties when players stay on their feet, if you get chopped down but stay on your feet in the box and have a miscued shot with less times at the goalie how can that be seen as as an advantage. So something needs to be done regarding a advantage when taken down in the box and the player is on goal. Perhaps diving would become less of a prevalence if players knew that if they stayed on their feet they would get advantage and if this was not deemed suffice they would get a penalty.

[Joe]

@ Michael: Referees can allow quick kicks near the area. Most times, defenses are savvy enough to crowd the ball to force the attacking team to ask for 10. No good ref will allows a quick kick while he's telling the wall where to step back to. The injury thing is called 'sportsmanship.' Look it up. Refs have the power to stop play, but are instructed by FIFA Law to wait for the next dead ball to have the player attended to unless the injured player is in the middle of the action.

[Will]

Now that we have transfer windows, I don't see the point of players being cup-tied. It's not like a club can just buy a player to help them win a final..

[Tom]

OK, this isn't a nit-picking rule rather than one of the cornerstones of European competition, but I think that the away goal rule should be scrapped as soon as possible. The warping effect that this rule has on every knockout game is truly depressing, as teams never start on a level playing field. The competition is compromised when a 2-2 home draw is a defeat and a 2-1 home win is effectively a draw. Teams are encouraged to play stultifying defensive football on their home turf as conceding an away goal is such a disaster.

It has come to be one of the rules that invariably benefits the pre-eminent clubs. It's one thing for Manchester United or AC Milan to travel to Denmark or Bulgaria and score a goal that counts double. It's quite another for FC Copenhagen or Levski Sofia to score at Old Trafford or the San Siro.

[Bobs]

Shirt pulling in the box should be more severely penalised. Defenders blocking off forwards when the ball rolls out for a goalkick should be penalised as well. Referees should stop favouring defenders and goallies.

[Al M]

Yellow cards for running into the crowd...a complete waste of time...and dont even get me started on a yellow for taking your shirt off...a joke
Further to the previous post on things football could learn from rugby....introduce a system whereby the ref can call for the clock to be stopped when a player is injured or just trying to waste time. It would ensure we get the 90mins of football we paid for and it may help stop time-wasting as players will know they have to play for the full 90mins. The current system of adding on 2/3/4 minutes at the end of every game is a joke

[Brian Wildey]

What is the point of the 'offside' rule,it has caused more controversy than any other rule in the game - if a team wants to play with 2 or 3 players camped in the opposition penalty area so be it.
The convention of putting the ball 'out of touch'because an opponent has gone down should be stopped now -too many players are feigning injury,in other words they are cheats! In rugby the game continues even with the physio on the pitch,no reason why football shouln't,except perhaps in the penalty area.

[Luke Reeve-Tucker]

I agree with the previous post about foul throws, apart from that I think it's actually more than 5 or 6 a match, it's almost every single one!

An easy way to avoid any issue about 'unfair' yellow cards - such as that for celebrations - would be to bring in the 'sin bin', as found in rugby. It's an instant punishment that is detrimental to the team and I think would reduce the amount of situations such as when referees don't award a second yellow because it means a sending off, even if the incident on its own merits it. This cumulative system (5 yellows = 1 match suspension) doesn't really work. Plus, who wouldn't want to see Lehmann sin-binned for putting off the striker at penalties? He knows that as long as no more than 4 penalties are awarded against Arsenal, he'll never get suspended!

[Danielle Blake]

I can't think of a rule I'd like to see got rid of offhand, but I can think of something I would like to see become a bookable offence - that extremely irritating practice where a player takes the ball into a corner and just stands facing away from the pitch with it. No attempt is made to play football, it's just a form of timewasting which unfortunately gets by as it's not a dead ball situation. It's incredibly frustrating to both fans and players and ought to be stopped.

[Pete]

Drew: Defenders are allowed to shield the ball out for a goal kick because they have possession. If you have possession you cannot obstruct an opponent.

Jono: 'Natural' is subjective. It would be perfectly reasonable to argue that when sliding to block Owen's shot, the defender's hands were in a natural position - it's impossible to slide without moving your arms. Indeed whereever your arms are they are natural because they are on your body. The point is that it has to be a conscious attempt to handle the ball - strictly speaking neither Carrick's handball nor that of the Sunderland defender were actually handball because neither were on purpose. However, they were both penalties because it is a given that - unless you have the ball blasted at you from a yard away - if it hits your hand in the box its a penalty.

Personally, I wish diving would be punished more heavily, although I recognise this is difficult to spot.

I'm not sure why players have to leave the field after receiving treatment; it just seems overly officious.

Fouling at corners is part of the culture of the game, if you tried to cut it out there might be more goals, which I'm in favour of!

Booking players for taking their shirts off is annoying, though all players are aware of the rule and if they do it (and thus potentially earn a suspension) it's their own stupid fault! The same goes for running into the crowd to celebrate.

[Martyn Davies]

I would suggest that the 45 mins each way be done away with in favour of two minutes each way. That would make time for something less boring.

[Sadie]

The game needs to take some tips from Rugby.

Dissent should be punished severely. If players who were not involved in an incident approach the referee they should be carded. It is as simple as that, players need to respect the referee.

Bring in a bonus points system for a high margin wins, goals scored etc...

Keep the game alive.

[Andrew]

Offside should be offside. It's hard enough to judge correctly without having to take into consideration whether a player is interfering or not.

Players waving imaginary cards after being fouled should be automatically booked.

[Michael]

With the exception of scrapping the rule where a free kick is awarded if you breathe on a goalkeeper, I would like to see more rules enforced rather than scrapped.

Such as;

* 6 seconds rule for goalkeepers.
* taking corners / throw ins correctly
* bookings for dissent
* penalties for grappling in the penalty area

[Jason White]

Refs seem to prevent quick free kicks when they are in range of the goal. why should the attacking team have to wait for the goalie to line up the wall?

+ stopping play by kicking to touch when a player is injured, why? it's the refs job to blow to stop play, not the players', play to the whistle and let the physio on the pitch at all times to see if there is a real injury.

[Richard C]

The ludicrous shuffling queue to shake hands before a match. You don't shake hands with someone you're about to go to war with. After the match is the time to shake hands, then everyone off down the pub to compare scars.

[vmelo]

I think the rule about the shirt removal during a celebratory moment should definately go; that yellow card could be crucial for a player and the supporters, if the player were to sit out during an important match such as the Euro or World Cup.
vmelo
Boston, USA

[Jono]

The "ball-hits-hand when the hand is in a natural position" rule should be changed to an indirect free kick.
Michael Carrick's handball v Chelsea should not be a penalty, but an indirect free kick because his hands were in a NATURAL position.
Sunderland's handball against michael owen for newcastle and barcelona's handball v man utd were correctly awarded as penalties because the players hands were in UNNATURAL positions.
Matches should not be decided on incidents such as these

[Gordon K Binns]

To avoid all the abuse playes give officials on the pitch and to add some law & order to referring, why don't FIFA add the same law as rugby union i.e. any chat back to referees can lead to a free kick being moved 10 yards on or, reversed. It makes teams shut up and puts the onus on a captain to ensure their players keep their mouths shut.

I am convinced it would help enourmously to stop all these players swearing at referees.

[Paul Zurbrugg]

Not nick picky but two things. Wrestling in the area during corners. Shirt pulling in general.How about allowing the ball to go out and back in, as long as it doesn't touch the ground.

[Drew]

It is one of those "unwritten rules" that really, really gets to me. The fact that when trying to let a ball run out for a goal kick, defenders are allowed to do almost anything in their power to block an attacker off. They are not playing the ball, they are holding a man off who is trying to go for the football. If a ball came into the box and a defender just held onto the attacker and stopped him from getting the ball, this would be a penalty. Why is it any different when the ball is running out. A defender is deemed 'strong' if he partakes in this, but if he did the same thing in the area, he would be seen as stupid. It baffles me. Oh and also referees deciding to give a foul throw every now and again; there are at least 5 or 6 foul throws every game I see these days! Either you penalise them all or you let them go, don't pick and choose!