DISQUS

SpursFan · 1 year ago

I think they should take after baseball. You are allowed to argue with the umpire up to a certain point, but if you direct cursing AT the umpire, and repeatedly argue or just generally cross the line, you are ejected from the game immediately. In baseball, when a player is ejected, the team is allowed to replace said player with a substitute, however. In soccer, obviously if you are red-carded your team is down a man. Thus, I am in full support of giving a player a yellow card for stepping accross the line the first time, and if he does it again, he should see red. If referees actually stick to their guns and give cards for excessive arguing and players start seeing red cards, the conduct WILL change. It's a matter of the referees being willing to send a man off for it, and sticking to it consistently. Once the consequences become clear to players, they will learn to shut their mouths. Other professional players manage it just fine.

Lonnie · 1 year ago

There are some important initiatives that are being tried and I think you should have mentioned them a bit more. For example, the banning of TV monitors from the sidelines could make a big difference. We should see less of the 4th official being harangued by managers who've seen something they disagree with on a replay. In theory of course ! :)

Weston · 1 year ago

SF thats exactly what I was going to mention - I would like to see taht sort of mentality applied to EPL matches. In MLB you can argue certain things in certain ways, but if you come out and argue balls and strikes, you WILL be tossed, its just the way it is and everyone knows and accepts it.

It needs to be that way in football, if six players surround the ref and scream in his ear for ten minutes, cards should be flying left and right. It needs to be understood that there is a line, and that line will hopefully be defined early on this season.

After a couple of early-season red cards we might see players start to relax.