The one thing I'd change about sport

[tikay]

On the same line as the beautiful thread, if you were king or queen of sport for a day, what would be your royal decree?












Swamping the ref doesn't tend to change his mind, but still they try...

Click to see full-size image.

How many times out of 100 does the ref change his mind, or yield to player pressure? I bet it's less than 1% of the time.

And yet the players do it every time.

How dumb, & what a waste of energy, is that?

Rugby Union solved that problem, football needs to. It's so easy to solve, too.

You want to argue son? The free kick gets moved forward 10 yards, & you get a card.

Still arguing? OK, it's a penalty & a red now.

It's a classic case of group think, or collective think. Our team mate argues, so we all join him.

If I were a ref, & one player politely asked to discuss a decision, I'd happily listen to him, & maybe even change my mind. If a crowd of 10 players, all pushing shoving & pressurising me get on my case, they have got no chance, ever. That's O Level psychology, we learn that at the age of 5.   

The Managers & Coaches must share a part of this blame, too, as must the Captain. They just have to tell the players "cut it out, it's pointless, only the Captain can query a decision, nobody else".

For all his greatness, Sir Alex must take part of this blame - he encouraged his players to argue, backed them up when they did, as Don Revie did two decades earlier. So it became accepted.

When we compare the various sports & how players react to officialdom, it's quite revealing. In, say, snooker, golf, RU, players don't argue with the ref, & accept decisions.

In golf & snooker, they declare fouls or penalties against themselves, as we saw at The Open this week. Can you imagine that in football, where every decision, be it a throw in, corner, free kick, or penalty, results in both sets of players appealing? And they get rewarded for a "professional foul", rather than reprimanded.

It's all so easy to solve, but we don't seem to want to.

[muckthenuts]

Totally agree, the disparity between rugby and football in that sense is ridiculous and rugby are the ones doing it right. However i'd suggest arguing with the ref in football has more of an effect than is perceived otherwise players wouldn't do it as much i reckon. Plus managers talk about there being "30,000 refs in Newcastle" and stuff like that. Things like that make me think it probably does make a significant difference, therefore no manager in football discourages his players from doing it.  

[Doobs]

Sorry Tikay, but I don't like players arguing with the ref, but saying it is every time is ridiculous.  

I think hyperbole is what I'd get rid of from sport.  

[sovietsong]

Everybody to support their local team.

Ticket prices affordable.

Love arbs no drug testing for 100m

[RED-DOG]

Everybody to support their local team.

Ticket prices affordable.

Love arbs no drug testing for 100m

Surely you can't enforce a rule that dictates who people support. How would that work sovvy?

[rinswun]

I would change the umpires call relating to referred decisions in cricket. If the technology is as accurate as it says it is, just give it in or out.

There have been so many ridiculous referrals given not out due to umpires call and it makes a mockery of the whole thing. I know the referrals are there to eliminate clangers but there is too much riding on these games nowadays not to be as accurate as possible.

[Archer]

I would change the umpires call relating to referred decisions in cricket. If the technology is as accurate as it says it is, just give it in or out.

There have been so many ridiculous referrals given not out due to umpires call and it makes a mockery of the whole thing. I know the referrals are there to eliminate clangers but there is too much riding on these games nowadays not to be as accurate as possible.

Agree with that.

Tilts me that there isn't an increased use of technology in football as well for the black and white decisions.

[Bazzaboy]

For the governing judges to stop using visually impaired judges in boxing.

[sovietsong]

Everybody to support their local team.

Ticket prices affordable.

Love arbs no drug testing for 100m

Surely you can't enforce a rule that dictates who people support. How would that work sovvy?

Sadly it's not enforceable. My worry is in 20 years we'll have 4 clubs with all the support & a lot of smaller clubs going out of business.

[hector62]

I would make footballers bet 50% of their weekly wage on their own team to win.

[TheDazzler]

On the same line as the beautiful thread, if you were king or queen of sport for a day, what would be your royal decree?












Swamping the ref doesn't tend to change his mind, but still they try...

Click to see full-size image.

How many times out of 100 does the ref change his mind, or yield to player pressure? I bet it's less than 1% of the time.

And yet the players do it every time.

How dumb, & what a waste of energy, is that?

Rugby Union solved that problem, football needs to. It's so easy to solve, too.

You want to argue son? The free kick gets moved forward 10 yards, & you get a card.

Still arguing? OK, it's a penalty & a red now.

It's a classic case of group think, or collective think. Our team mate argues, so we all join him.

If I were a ref, & one player politely asked to discuss a decision, I'd happily listen to him, & maybe even change my mind. If a crowd of 10 players, all pushing shoving & pressurising me get on my case, they have got no chance, ever. That's O Level psychology, we learn that at the age of 5.   

The Managers & Coaches must share a part of this blame, too, as must the Captain. They just have to tell the players "cut it out, it's pointless, only the Captain can query a decision, nobody else".

For all his greatness, Sir Alex must take part of this blame - he encouraged his players to argue, backed them up when they did, as Don Revie did two decades earlier. So it became accepted.

When we compare the various sports & how players react to officialdom, it's quite revealing. In, say, snooker, golf, RU, players don't argue with the ref, & accept decisions.

In golf & snooker, they declare fouls or penalties against themselves, as we saw at The Open this week. Can you imagine that in football, where every decision, be it a throw in, corner, free kick, or penalty, results in both sets of players appealing? And they get rewarded for a "professional foul", rather than reprimanded.

It's all so easy to solve, but we don't seem to want to.

The reason players argue with the referee is not to get him to change his mind. It's not even close to being 1% of the time that would be successful. The only time I can remember a ref chaging his mind is the 1982 World Cup when the referee over ruled a goal after the Kuwaiti team walked off.
The reason players do it is two fold.
Firstly it is to create a doubt in the mind of the referee as to whether he got that decision right or wrong. If they are successful in creating that doubt, it makes the referee more likely to rule in their favour the next time, to 'even it up'.

The reason that the aggressive, in your face, shouting and swearing goes on is intimidation.
A referee exposed to a snarling group of players shouting and screaming in his face once does not want to experience that a 2nd time. A weak willed individual will 'bottle' a contentious decision if he feels he'll get that treatment.
That's your O level psychology.

[tikay]

On the same line as the beautiful thread, if you were king or queen of sport for a day, what would be your royal decree?












Swamping the ref doesn't tend to change his mind, but still they try...

Click to see full-size image.

How many times out of 100 does the ref change his mind, or yield to player pressure? I bet it's less than 1% of the time.

And yet the players do it every time.

How dumb, & what a waste of energy, is that?

Rugby Union solved that problem, football needs to. It's so easy to solve, too.

You want to argue son? The free kick gets moved forward 10 yards, & you get a card.

Still arguing? OK, it's a penalty & a red now.

It's a classic case of group think, or collective think. Our team mate argues, so we all join him.

If I were a ref, & one player politely asked to discuss a decision, I'd happily listen to him, & maybe even change my mind. If a crowd of 10 players, all pushing shoving & pressurising me get on my case, they have got no chance, ever. That's O Level psychology, we learn that at the age of 5.   

The Managers & Coaches must share a part of this blame, too, as must the Captain. They just have to tell the players "cut it out, it's pointless, only the Captain can query a decision, nobody else".

For all his greatness, Sir Alex must take part of this blame - he encouraged his players to argue, backed them up when they did, as Don Revie did two decades earlier. So it became accepted.

When we compare the various sports & how players react to officialdom, it's quite revealing. In, say, snooker, golf, RU, players don't argue with the ref, & accept decisions.

In golf & snooker, they declare fouls or penalties against themselves, as we saw at The Open this week. Can you imagine that in football, where every decision, be it a throw in, corner, free kick, or penalty, results in both sets of players appealing? And they get rewarded for a "professional foul", rather than reprimanded.

It's all so easy to solve, but we don't seem to want to.

The reason players argue with the referee is not to get him to change his mind. It's not even close to being 1% of the time that would be successful. The only time I can remember a ref chaging his mind is the 1982 World Cup when the referee over ruled a goal after the Kuwaiti team walked off.
The reason players do it is two fold.
Firstly it is to create a doubt in the mind of the referee as to whether he got that decision right or wrong. If they are successful in creating that doubt, it makes the referee more likely to rule in their favour the next time, to 'even it up'.

The reason that the aggressive, in your face, shouting and swearing goes on is intimidation.
A referee exposed to a snarling group of players shouting and screaming in his face once does not want to experience that a 2nd time. A weak willed individual will 'bottle' a contentious decision if he feels he'll get that treatment.
That's your O level psychology.

I don't for one minute believe footballers, generally, are capable of that level of thought.

[JohnCharver]

Would like to see the rule they had in Serie A in the 90s where by four foreigners per squad with only 3 allowed to play a game in football. Not sure how it lies with euopean employment law or whatever but it has to be the way to develop the talent in our country. If that is a no goer then penalise unsportsmanlike behaviour and make it effective.

Think the reverse would be more effective, let teams use whoever they want in any format. Would stop man city etc buying english to line their bench.


Should get rid of all the federations from boxing and have a more natural system for who should fight who.

I would ban elements of the media that peddle myths which bear no resemblance to the facts and then are lapped up  by punters as a truth and shape an erroneus perception which is repeatedly regurgitaed in social media and internet forums.

Case in point is City buy English to line their bench. Really? Since the takeover nearly 7 years ago only 2 young  and established English have been bought by City and not used and one of them was a sicknote.

Or just make up stats to make a point. What about all the players they have failed to release, like lescott, or paid far too much so they end up running their deal?

Chose a great word to misspell there as well.

[Tal]

Erronueus was the Greek philosopher whose works were all disproved shortly afterwards.

[Doobs]

Everybody to support their local team.

Ticket prices affordable.

Love arbs no drug testing for 100m

Surely you can't enforce a rule that dictates who people support. How would that work sovvy?

Sadly it's not enforceable. My worry is in 20 years we'll have 4 clubs with all the support & a lot of smaller clubs going out of business.

Wasn't if always the way? Not many Bradford City fans in my school, loads of Liverpool, Man U and dirty Leeds fans.  One of my brothers even started supporting Everton when they were doing well.  

My daughter's school is the same.  They all support the current glory teams and Spurs.  Not sure any of them support the nearest teams.  My daughter, of course, supports Bradford City, but they are 150 miles up the road.