Changes on the cards?

After forty years of cards is it time for football to update the way it deals with indiscipline?

Yellow and red cards were first used during the 1970 World Cup in a by-gone age before simulation, pass-back rules and players whipping off their shirts to join supporters with goal celebrations.

Calum Murray will be watched as closely as anyone at Sunday’s Rangers-Celtic Scottish Cup tie with only two cards to protect him from players who’ll be out to stretch the laws of the game at every opportunity.

In an article today on Football Fancast Howard Hockin looks at how the disciplinary system can adapt to the demands of the modern game where players, cards and officials are a constant talking point

Hockin wrote: In many areas, football has changed beyond recognition over the years; in some areas it has remained very similar. The fundamental essence of the game has remained, interpretations have differed.

The game has been modernised with nets, and assistants, substitutions, offsides, fourth officials, scoreboards, chicken balti pies and so on.

Ken Aston, himself a referee in the 1960s, was the man responsible for inventing red and yellow cards. They were first used by FIFA during the 1970 World Cup.

On the trip, punctuated by many traffic lights, Aston realised that a colour coding scheme on the same amber (steady) – red (stop) principle as used on traffic lights would traverse language barriers and clarify to players and spectators that they had been cautioned or sent off (thank you wikipedia).

Thus was devised the system whereby referees show a yellow card for a caution and a red card for an expulsion. Players had been cautioned previously, but there was no visual confirmation of the punishment, the player was just told by the referee.

It was a great jump forward, a great idea by Aston. Astonishing that no one had thought of it before, but great nevertheless.

But isn’t it now time we moved with the times and introduced a new system of cards?

Yellow and red cards are no longer good enough in my opinion. It is a system that is not fit for purpose. A cynical tackle from behind merits the same punishment as putting your shirt over your head when scoring a goal.

Leaving the pitch without permission is treated the same as some borderline red card offences, which is treated the same as taking too long to take a goal kick. Meanwhile, two missed tackles can mean the same as deliberately elbowing an opponent in the head.

Cards were introduced in simpler times. No edicts about celebrating goals, leaving the perimeter of the pitch, dissent, feigning injuries or questioning the parentage of the match officials.

Players were allowed to get away with much more; many tackles that brought a tear to your eye didn’t even merit a free kick. Dismissals were really earned! It might make matters more confusing, but thankfully Graham Poll has retired so there’s a good chance that mistakes will be avoided.

The laws of football are simple when compared to other sports, a 50 page document where other sports have rulebooks covering thousands of pages. This is good, and I would never advocate wholesale changes to the game.

But laws need to move with the times, and I’m surprised at the lack of discussion on whether the current system is good enough.

Afterall, when the laws were first drawn up in December 1863, they contained some of the following rules:

• The maximum length of the ground shall be 200 yards (180 m), the maximum breadth shall be 100 yards (91 m), the length and breadth shall be marked off with flags; and the goal shall be defined by two upright posts, eight yards (7 m) apart, without any tape or bar across them.
• After a goal is won, the losing side shall be entitled to kick off, and the two sides shall change goals after each goal is won.
• A goal shall be won when the ball passes between the goal-posts or over the space between the goal-posts (at whatever height), not being thrown, knocked on, or carried.
• If a player makes a fair catch, he shall be entitled to a free kick, providing he claims it by making a mark with his heel at once; and in order to take such kick he may go back as far as he pleases, and no player on the opposite side shall advance beyond his mark until he has kicked.
• No player shall run with the ball.

The Laws of the Game are now written by the International Football Association Board who meet at least once a year to debate and decide any changes to the text as it exists at that time.

So there are always things being changed, even if the fundamental principles remain.

To me, it also seems too harsh when handing out suspensions for picking up bookings over time.

Five innocuous yellow cards can lead to a domestic suspension in English football (and a longer one at ten), and it only takes a couple in international tournaments to result in missing the subsequent game, which for an unfortunate few has been the final.

There are systems in place in other sports that give us an idea of what could be done. In field hockey a yellow card indicates a temporary suspension. The length of the suspension is determined by the umpire, but is a minimum of 5 minutes playing time.

It is possible for a player to receive two yellow cards for different offences during the same match, however the period of suspension must be significantly longer with each yellow card.

In rugby league yellow cards are not usually used in the southern hemisphere with referees indicating a 10 minute suspension by raising both arms straight out with fingers spread (to indicate 10 minutes). This is the well-known ‘sin-bin’.

In the union code, during international matches, a yellow card also results in a trip to the sin bin. A player receiving a second yellow card in a game will also be shown a red card.

So here’s an idea – shout abuse at the referee and you get to spend ten minutes or longer in a sin bin. I like the ideas of sin bins for certain offences, those that aren’t malicious or violent or involve blatant cheating. Of course you never know if something would work, and only trialling it would tell if it is feasible or not.

In field hockey, they have a triangular-shaped green card, which indicates an official warning, covering those who have committed a minor offence that does not warrant a more serious sanction.

A second green card for the same player will result in a yellow card (5 minute suspension). A green card can be given to a specific player or to the captain as a warning to the entire team.

Many would naturally be concerned at altering the fundamental structures of the game, but I don’t see changing the caution system as that ground-breaking, and no more than changing to 3 points for a victory for example.

I’ve no solution myself that would make everything totally fair, but would love to see a trial of a three card system (green-yellow-red, with the option of jumping straight to a yellow card for bad-but-not-quite-red-card offences), or trial the use of sin bins for certain offences.

Too many games are decided now not by the skill of footballers, but the number of players on the pitch. And that can’t be right.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE FROM HOWARD HOCKIN

What’s he worth- Gary Hooper

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