Strange refereeing quirks…

SuperiorXI

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This is what does my head in and why we end up with so much inconsistent bullshit. The whole refusing to give yellow cards for the first 30 minutes or so until they decide they're allowed happens way too often. And the amount of times a player has done something that warranted a card then gets booked later on influences games massively.

It's also why players take the piss so much.
We need AI refs
 

Anustart89

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Player 1 gets aggressive with player 2 after being on the end of a fair tackle. Player 1 pushes player 2 and player 2 stands up to him.
Referee stops play, pulls both of them away, gives them a piece of his mind, then books both players.
This one touches on another one.

A player makes a bad tackle, yellow card bordering on red style. The tackled player goes over to tell him he’s a cnut and they start pushing each other and others join in.

Both players get a yellow card. Bad tackle goes unpunished. And maybe Casemiro gets a red because he grabbed someone’s collar.
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

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That Martinez thing I was going to bundle in with another quirk. If a player releases a pass in the middle of the park and another player crashes into him when the ball is gone then it’s always a free, often a yellow card, depending how late the contact.

But if a player gets a shot at goal off, inside the box, there no consequences if they subsequently get clattered by a player trying to block that shot. An example would be when Pickford ruptured VVD’s ACL.
I've often wondered about this too. I've never seen a foul given for the follow through after a shot has been taken. It happens so often as well.

Closest to them being given is when a player tries to round the keeper and is fouled. But somehow getting the shot away whilst, or just before, being fouled changes everything. I'd genuinely like to hear a referee explain why that is always the case.
 

Anustart89

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I've often wondered about this too. I've never seen a foul given for the follow through after a shot has been taken. It happens so often as well.

Closest to them being given is when a player tries to round the keeper and is fouled. But somehow getting the shot away whilst, or just before, being fouled changes everything. I'd genuinely like to hear a referee explain why that is always the case.
Arsenal were given a pen against city for this.
 

Berbasbullet

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If a player wins the ball too high up the pitch which leads to them being through on goal it will very often be called a foul. Regardless of whether it was a foul.
 

Solius

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VAR only intervenes if play stops naturally and shortly after the incident.

If my team had a penalty shout, I'd coach them to boot the ball out for a throw-in near the corner flag rather than keeping the ball in-play for another minute. The longer the ball is live, the more reason VAR has to not intervene.

Psychologically it makes total sense, exacerbated by cowardly refs.
Yeah this one has always felt very true for me.
 

Norris Cole

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I think expecting the referee to decide on added time is outdated, especially with 3 assistants on the pitch.
There is so much going on in the elite game how can they be expected to mentally add up stoppages.
There are such fine margins in the game these days it seems crazy that the length of the game is essentially left to guess work from a referee
 

Rex Banner

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Every game you see fouls given for the most minimal contact when it's outside of the box, but when it's inside the box the threshold is always 10x higher. Surely a foul is a foul regardless of where it is on the pitch?
 
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Buchan

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@Jack-C20 posted similar on page 1 but this has ground my gears since time immemorial and I’ve posted on it in the past:

Not a gripe about modern football per se (or maybe it is) but I find it infuriating when referees interrupt the taking of a corner or a free-kick when there’s jostling in the box just so he can wag his finger at the guilty parties. Why do they do this? That’s not their job. Blow the whistle, let the game restart, and if there’s any offence committed, then award the penalty or free-kick accordingly.

Or don’t. I don’t particularly care. Just don’t interrupt the fecking game because you want to insert yourself into proceedings and disrupt the flow of the match. They don’t forewarn players in any other instance on the pitch about their behaviour so why do they feel the need to do it at corners and free-kicks into the box? It absolutely drives me mad.
 

Anustart89

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Oh, remembered another one. If you're wondering where I am I'll be in here all day.

Players who are injured who get themselves back on the pitch to receive treatment, at which point their injury becomes so severe that they are literally unable to move off the pitch to keep receiving treatment. Is there anything more blatantly designed to waste time and ruin the opposition's momentum? Has it ever been sanctioned with a yellow card?
 

Hoof the ball

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1. Referees ignoring the opposition player standing yards in front of the player trying to take a quick free-kick. This is rarely reprimanded and almost never with a yellow card. Let's get this straight, the team that has committed the foul has zero right to prevent the quick free-kick. The free-kick is meant to penalise them, and one of the consequences of that is the potential of a quick free-kick catching the opposition team out of shape!

2. Referees never being ready for the quick free-kick, and usually calling back the play for no reason other than the fact that they were simply not ready. Lest you think this is has always been the case, it hasn't. I watch a great deal of older games in the 80's/90's/00's, from multiple leagues, both domestic and foreign, and referees permitted quick free-kicks at a significantly higher rate than they do now. There's no reason or logic behind it, or why X referee isn't switched-on and ready for the play to restart.
 

ManUnitedCanuck

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I’ve always thought it was strange you can go up for a header, completely miss the ball and head Butt another player with no repercussions. If the ball is on the ground and I miss it and hit you with my foot it’s a foul, but when the ball is in the air and it’s head to head, no problem at all, can mistime your challenge without any issue.
 

LawCharltonBest

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If you book 2 or 3 players from the same team in a row, you then have to book the other team for the next foul they make regardless of how soft it is, purely so the crowd doesn't boo you

Same goes for fouls, if you're giving too many one way (however justified) you have to then give one back
 

Lecland07

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If you take too long to come off when subbed, to take a freekick, to take a throw in, or to take a goalkick in a delibrate attempt to waste time you get yellow carded yet if you dribble the ball to the corner flag and keep it there in a delibrate attempt to waste time you get nothing.

Dribbling the ball to the corner flag and keeping it there in a delibrate attempt to waste time should be outlawed.
I do agree, but then there is the issue of whether the opposition player forced you into that position or whether you willingly went. You can't really get booked for the former, otherwise it would be a fantastic way for defenders to get guaranteed freekicks.

The most annoying one for me is the defender getting brushed in the back and they fall over like they have been lanced. Foul for a defender but not for an attacker.

Players blocking freekicks from being taken quickly should be a yellow card, also, if they are too close to the ball.

Any confrontation between two players ends in both getting yellow cards, even if one of them didn't do anything.
 

Pogue Mahone

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1. Referees ignoring the opposition player standing yards in front of the player trying to take a quick free-kick. This is rarely reprimanded and almost never with a yellow card. Let's get this straight, the team that has committed the foul has zero right to prevent the quick free-kick. The free-kick is meant to penalise them, and one of the consequences of that is the potential of a quick free-kick catching the opposition team out of shape!

2. Referees never being ready for the quick free-kick, and usually calling back the play for no reason other than the fact that they were simply not ready. Lest you think this is has always been the case, it hasn't. I watch a great deal of older games in the 80's/90's/00's, from multiple leagues, both domestic and foreign, and referees permitted quick free-kicks at a significantly higher rate than they do now. There's no reason or logic behind it, or why X referee isn't switched-on and ready for the play to restart.
Good ones. The standing in front of a free kick thing is actively coached at the underage level. My son’s coach bollocks any player who doesn’t do it. Should be a yellow card every time. So easy to enforce too.
 

2 man midfield

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If you take too long to come off when subbed, to take a freekick, to take a throw in, or to take a goalkick in a delibrate attempt to waste time you get yellow carded yet if you dribble the ball to the corner flag and keep it there in a delibrate attempt to waste time you get nothing.

Dribbling the ball to the corner flag and keeping it there in a delibrate attempt to waste time should be outlawed.
The key difference is that the ball is in play when you’re keeping it in the corner. It’s up to the opposition to get the ball back.
 

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1. Referees ignoring the opposition player standing yards in front of the player trying to take a quick free-kick. This is rarely reprimanded and almost never with a yellow card. Let's get this straight, the team that has committed the foul has zero right to prevent the quick free-kick. The free-kick is meant to penalise them, and one of the consequences of that is the potential of a quick free-kick catching the opposition team out of shape!

2. Referees never being ready for the quick free-kick, and usually calling back the play for no reason other than the fact that they were simply not ready. Lest you think this is has always been the case, it hasn't. I watch a great deal of older games in the 80's/90's/00's, from multiple leagues, both domestic and foreign, and referees permitted quick free-kicks at a significantly higher rate than they do now. There's no reason or logic behind it, or why X referee isn't switched-on and ready for the play to restart.
This x1000:mad:
 

Nickelodeon

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  1. Over the recent years, getting booked is no longer just dependent on the quality of the foul or offence. The reaction of offending player, offended player, crowd, teammates etc have become of equal importance. Even blatant fouls like deliberate fouling to stop a counter have somehow become subjective if the offending player acts nonchalantly and walks away.
  2. Maybe its me, but I see that referees are too often cutting passing lanes and getting in between moves
  3. Referees in CL/EL give no fecks about the actual stoppage in the game and just assign a random small amount. And even if they add 4 mins and someone gets injured for a minute during the added time, they will still blow the whistle exactly at 94:00
  4. The double jeopardy law brought in place to avoid red card and penalties is only considered in case of a tackle i.e. if the player committing the foul was genuinely going for the ball and not committing a cynical foul. This law has not been translated correctly when it comes to handball decisions on the line. Two cases spring to mind. Willian against us and Reece James against Liverpool. In both cases, the player had their arm tucked in but it was the case of them making a genuine effort to stop the goal legally but couldn't do so and hence didn't deserve the red.
  5. More of a general issue than a referee one. VAR has brought a series of rules which, though technically correct, have unleased a madness which seems impossible to reconcile. The ridiculous handball decisions is leading to penalties where there's no threat of goal. In my opinion, a handball penalty should only be given if a player has their arm in an unnatural position and also stops a decisive movement of the ball. If there is no threat of goal, why should any handball penalty be given if the defender hasn't committed it deliberately or with significant stupidity? There are insane number of examples but I can't get beyond the CL final penalty against Spurs. While correct as per rules, there is no way an attacking team deserves to get that. In a low scoring game like football, such decisions need to be more thought through. Otherwise there's a genuine chance of players just aiming for opponents arm. Statistically, it will become the more likely way of getting a goal.
 

Mike Smalling

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Generally, referees should just be way more liberal with yellow cards for tactical fouls, time wasting, and other crap like obstructing free kick taking, kicking the ball away, etc. Would likely open up the games more and lead to a more entertaining game.
 

Dansk

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If a player is running with the ball and an opposing player slides in and inserts his leg directly where the running player's foot is about to meet the grass in his stride, it's somehow regarded as a horrible foul and has resulted in red cards at times. I remember Pogba got sent off for that a few years back. Literally just running and suddenly a leg is shoved into the space where your stride comes down in the next millisecond. It's impossible for the player to avoid stepping on that leg, there's no time to react and they might not even see it.
 

surf

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When a player goes down and then grabs the ball with his hands and looks at the referee for a foul, the ref almost always gives the foul instead of handball the other way. Sometimes it's highly marginal and perhaps he should just award the handball.
 

peridigm

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Anyone see the video doing rounds on social where the ball deflects off the ref and goes in goal? Does that count as a quirk?
 

surf

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Anyone see the video doing rounds on social where the ball deflects off the ref and goes in goal? Does that count as a quirk?
The referee would have to be very poorly positioned for that to happen, so probably yes. Was it a weirdly inaccurate penalty or something?
 

Idxomer

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Something that I've only seen in the PL so far is refs not going back to give clear yellow cards after giving an advantage.

I don't know if it's laziness or instructions to keep the game moving or some bullshit like this.
 

DJ_21

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Every game you see fouls given for the most minimal contact when it's outside of the box, but when it's inside the box the threshold is always 10x higher. Surely a foul is a foul regardless of where it is on the pitch?
Ye this is one that baffles me. The same foul that happens inside the penalty area would get given as a free kick so why’s it not a pen?…
 

Mindhunter

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This one touches on another one.

A player makes a bad tackle, yellow card bordering on red style. The tackled player goes over to tell him he’s a cnut and they start pushing each other and others join in.

Both players get a yellow card. Bad tackle goes unpunished. And maybe Casemiro gets a red because he grabbed someone’s collar.
Oh yeah. I totally forgot about that one.

Giving cards based on paused frames without any other objectivity being used.
 

Vanrouge

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When a player goes down and then grabs the ball with his hands and looks at the referee for a foul, the ref almost always gives the foul instead of handball the other way. Sometimes it's highly marginal and perhaps he should just award the handball.
Even if the player is justified in thinking it's a free kick against his opponent (and usually he's not), he's still deliberately hand balling in an attempt to pressure the ref. If refs yellow-carded this, it would go away almost overnight.
 

York

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1. If defender is shepherding the ball out near the touchline and a striker gently touches his back then he can flop to the ground and almost always wins a free kick. The exact same scenario with roles reversed, inside the box and the referee will always wave play on.

2. Try to play the ball with a high foot in front of you and if another players head is anywhere near the ball it is always a free kick. If your foot contacts their head you will be booked and possibly sent off. Do the same with a bicycle kick inside the box and unless you actually kick them in the head a free kick is unlikely to to be awarded. You will almost never be booked and will never be sent off.

Any others?
Completely agree with both of your examples, but I wonder if anyone remembers Adama Traore running through a defender's back two or three years back, clearly a foul, but getting away with it. I think it may have even lead to a goal.
 

York

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Good ones. The standing in front of a free kick thing is actively coached at the underage level. My son’s coach bollocks any player who doesn’t do it. Should be a yellow card every time. So easy to enforce too.
I don't put up with that one. I tell the player that it doesn't work with me and he/she better get back or it's a caution.
 

York

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Good stuff. Are you a referee? The ref’s in my son’s league are as accepting of it as the refs in the PL. I guess referees are like kids. They copy what they see on the TV.
Yeah, started last October and enjoying it for the most part! Figured it was a good way to give back after all of the times I've yelled at refs over the years.
 

Anustart89

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When certain managers moan about refs, refs double down and give even more decisions against them just to punish them for having a go at their ref buddies. When certain other managers moan about refs, refs seem to say "Hmm, maybe he does have a point and we've been harsh on them" and give them more decisions to appease them.
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

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That Martinez thing I was going to bundle in with another quirk. If a player releases a pass in the middle of the park and another player crashes into him when the ball is gone then it’s always a free, often a yellow card, depending how late the contact.

But if a player gets a shot at goal off, inside the box, there no consequences if they subsequently get clattered by a player trying to block that shot. An example would be when Pickford ruptured VVD’s ACL.
Just happened to Martial. Absolutely wiped out by Dunk well after he'd taken the shot. Nothing given.
 

Idxomer

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Rashford and Martial get taken out but because it happened after they had played the ball, nothing is given.
 

Bubz27

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Rashford and Martial get taken out but because it happened after they had played the ball, nothing is given.
Soon as anything remotely similar happened to their keeper it was given as a foul.
 

Swedish_Plumber

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When a United player plays through a press, the opposition team seems to be allowed to cynically stop the next forward action and avoid a yellow.