Cheaters Charter 2023-24

jacool

Whether it was a retrospective effort to legitimise Argentina’s winning goal, or not, IFAB has just gone and scored a massive own goal, by encouraging more cheating, in a game played by some of the best cheaters in the world, by changing Law 3.

 Law 3 If, after a goal is scored, the referee realises, before play restarts, that an extra person was on the field of play when the goal was scored, and that person interfered with play:

• the referee must disallow the goal if the extra person was:

· a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of the team that scored the goal; play is restarted with a direct free kick from the position of the extra person

· an outside agent who interfered with play unless a goal results as outlined above in ‘Extra persons on the field of play’; play is restarted with a dropped ball

• the referee must allow the goal if the extra person was:

· a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of the team that conceded the goal

· an outside agent who did not interfere with play

Explanation: Clarification that the referee should take action against an extra person on the field of play when a goal is scored only if the person affected the play, e.g. the Law does not expect the referee to penalise encroachment onto the field of play if it does not impact the play.

 In my opinion, there should be no reasons for anybody to be on the pitch, bar the 22 players and the referee. This is just allowing for more drama when you see these substitutes race onto the pitch when a goal is scored. I would have changed the rule to make it a yellow card offence for encroachment. Maybe I have them wrong, though, and they have had their head turned by the GAA, and seen the positive influence of having the Maor Uisce (with earpiece) regularly jogging onto Páirc an Chrócaigh. I remember when Galway won back in 2017, I was half convinced that Dan Shanahan was actually playing for the Deise that day, he was on the pitch so much! What I have noticed, and this now, will only encourage it, is that substitutes are now warming up in areas where they can influence a game. In the World Cup final the Argentinian subs kept the ball away from France when they were leading the game. I would fully expect that the French would have done the same thing had the roles been reversed. This just gives that more justification now.

 

Law 14, the penalty kick has also been changed and now says, as additional text

The goalkeeper must not behave in a way that unfairly distracts the kicker, e.g. delay the taking of the kick or touch the goalposts, crossbar or goal net.

Explanation: Clarification that the goalkeeper must not behave in a manner that fails to show respect for the game and the opponent, i.e. by unfairly distracting the kicker.

 I don’t know if this is linked to the above rule change, but buried in Law 10, Determining the Outcome of a Match is one subtle change

Clarification that warnings and cautions for team officials, as well as for players, are not carried forward into penalties (penalty shoot-out)

I think this means that goalkeepers who have been booked in a game will get one chance to act like a d***head, before getting booked, but not sent off in a shoot out.