Strange refereeing quirks…

[Pogue Mahone]

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?

 

[RyRy11]

You can make a studs showing slide tackle and not get sent off unless you are Casemiro

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Quirk no.1 is baffling. How do referees fall for it, every time? I can't remember ever seeing one not given. It's such cowardly play, but teams would be daft not to exploit it. I'd love to see referees stop giving them, and just waving play on (or giving handball, since players nearly always grab the ball as they fall, fully expecting the free kick to go their way). Especially when attacking players will likely receive much harder shoves in the back, and usually get nothing.

Another is when there's a bit of pushing and shoving, and the referee hasn't got a clue what happened, so just books 1 player from each team, often including a player who did nothing wrong.

 

[Oranges038]

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?

That one pisses me off, I'd like to see referees book the cnuts for diving.

Another one is how they let players taking a throw steal about 20 yards up the line and even on the rare occasion they do send them back, they still stand and watch them move on up again.

 

[Lights Out]

It’s similar to number 1 but I hate how defenders get away with shepherding the ball out of play for a goal kick. They can literally just ignore the ball and barge and block any attempts from an attacker

Anywhere else on the pitch and it isn’t allowed

 

[USREDEVIL]

Pulling shirts in the box is apparently fine for corner kicks, but outside it's considered assault.

 

[Anustart89]

A referee will verbally warn a goalkeeper about seven times for time-wasting, including pointing to his watch with his arm in the air, before booking him late on in the game at a point where it's impossible for the goalkeeper to break the rule enough times to receive a second yellow.

That means that the referee has indicated that he's seen the goalkeeper breaking the rule, which is punishable with a yellow card, multiple times before doing anything about it, at which point it has no consequence for the offender.

And then he'll add four minutes of stoppage time to the end of the game. During which the goalkeeper will spend two minutes taking goal kicks before the game is brought to an end at 94:09

 

[mctrials23]

It’s similar to number 1 but I hate how defenders get away with shepherding the ball out of play for a goal kick. They can literally just ignore the ball and barge and block any attempts from an attacker

Anywhere else on the pitch and it isn’t allowed

Yep, boggles my mind. They will literally wrestle with the attacker 6ft from the ball to make sure it goes out and thats fine. Anywhere else on the pitch and it would be a yellow card almost guaranteed.

Keepers coming out to collect the ball and leading with their knee or foot leading at head height is always completely ignored as well.

 

[The Original]

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.

I think this is just a bit of cowardice. If a defender goes down in that situation, it could lead to a goal-scoring opportunity that refs probably don't want to take responsibility for. But again this is almost like how strikers go down once they feel any sort of contact. The rules are clear and players should be smarter.

 

[Anustart89]

Yep, boggles my mind. They will literally wrestle with the attacker 6ft from the ball to make sure it goes out and thats fine. Anywhere else on the pitch and it would be a yellow card almost guaranteed.

Keepers coming out to collect the ball and leading with their knee or foot leading at head height is always completely ignored as well.

Or like the time Emi Martinez saved the ball with his right hand but made sure he slapped the shit out of Elanga with his left hand while doing his star jump. I mean, literally any other player and that's "catching him with the follow-through", except like in Pogue's second quirk in the OP, hitting someone in the head is considered less dangerous than someone's shin getting a nick.

 

[mctrials23]

Keepers in general are a protected species. When Ederson come out and completely wiped out Werner I think it was in the CL and got nothing. That was a red card. Absolute shocker of a "tackle" and the RB player gets a card. It was so bad it was comical.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Or like the time Emi Martinez saved the ball with his right hand but made sure he slapped the shit out of Elanga with his left hand while doing his star jump. I mean, literally any other player and that's "catching him with the follow-through", except like in Pogue's second quirk in the OP, hitting someone in the head is considered less dangerous than someone's shin getting a nick.

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.

 

[2 man midfield]

It’s similar to number 1 but I hate how defenders get away with shepherding the ball out of play for a goal kick. They can literally just ignore the ball and barge and block any attempts from an attacker

Anywhere else on the pitch and it isn’t allowed

I’ve never seen it given anywhere else on the pitch tbf. It’s technically obstruction, and Pogba used to love doing it, but I’ve never seen it given as a foul. If you’re the closest player to the ball and holding another player off you’re generally deemed to be in possession of it.

 

[Kaos]

When opposing players stand in front of a ball to stop a free kick being taken quickly. Does my nut in, moreso because its never punished.

 

[2 man midfield]

The ball is in play for around 20-25 minutes in each half. Usually the first and second halves have roughly the same amount of action.

So why do first halves always have just one minute added, and the second 5 plus?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

The ball is in play for around 20-25 minutes in each half. Usually the first and second halves have roughly the same amount of action.

So why do first halves always have just one minute added, and the second 5 plus?

Maybe because subs only made in second half?

 

[duffer]

When opposing players stand in front of a ball to stop a free kick being taken quickly. Does my nut in, moreso because its never punished.

Kicking the ball away in a similar fashion as well. One of the rules the refs just don't bother with.

 

[2 man midfield]

Maybe because subs only made in second half?

True. But the ball is in play for roughly the same amount of time. They never add on subs properly anyway, some managers make 2 subs in added time and he still blows right on the dot.

 

[SuperiorXI]

Football is WWE lite with a lot of the inconsistencies. You can explain them away as influencing the "spectacle" of the game. Didn't some ref, I think it was Clattenburg, admit as much?

 

[acnumber9]

A referee will verbally warn a goalkeeper about seven times for time-wasting, including pointing to his watch with his arm in the air, before booking him late on in the game at a point where it's impossible for the goalkeeper to break the rule enough times to receive a second yellow.

That means that the referee has indicated that he's seen the goalkeeper breaking the rule, which is punishable with a yellow card, multiple times before doing anything about it, at which point it has no consequence for the offender.

And then he'll add four minutes of stoppage time to the end of the game. During which the goalkeeper will spend two minutes taking goal kicks before the game is brought to an end at 94:09

That winds me up no end. So easy to deal with it too. Book then the first time and if they do it again send them off. It quickly stops. And add double the time on. Adding the same amount on isn’t a punishment.

 

[100]

Decisions like no.1 are given because there’s less chance of it being a talking point. Basically calculated risk from the referee. If a referee can make an incorrect minor decision, that in turn stops them making a major decision down the line, most will do it.

 

[Jack-C20]

When there’s loads of jostling in the box before a corner and the ref runs in to tell everyone to stop it only to ignore them doing the exact same thing five seconds later when the corner is taken.

When the refs calls a foul throw in one out of about 500 foul throws.

When a ref waves play on when a player goes over easy and the ref pulls a face like he’s saying ‘mate, don’t try that crap with me’ only to give a free kick for a stupidly soft foul right after.

 

[arthurka]

Most of the problems are easily eradicated just by following the rules and handing out cards. It will stop these things in couple of weeks. But fixing the refs seems to be the problem.

 

[Brophs]

When a defender is late with a tackle and boots an opposition player, it's a foul and often a card. When a keeper goes to punch the ball clear, is late and sparks out an opposition striker, it's often a free out.

 

[Corey]

If there's a blatant yellow card offence like a cynical shirt-pull on a counter attack, but the referee plays advantage, the referee will 99% of the time forget to go back and book the player.

Only exception is if the advantage is played but then the play subsequently stops within 5 seconds. Any longer that than and the referee is incapable of remembering the bookable offence. Surely his colleague could remind him?

 

[RedRocket9908]

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.

 

[Member 125288]

Almost every throw-in is a foul throw these days, but they are very rarely given.

 

[Gazza]

It's basically a tradition as old as football itself, but why do referees let a goalkeeper take a goal kick just to blow for full-time while the ball is in the air? Does the ball have to be in play to call full-time?

 

[Shane88]

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?

This is the attacker's fault. They should know by now that if you lay a fingernail on the defender's back, it's a free out. Simply do not touch the defender (if they've touched the ball last) and force him to play a blind punt up the field. 90% chance you are getting the ball back or a throw in in your opponent's half.

I'm sick to death of saying "Don't touch him, don't foul him" to United players on the TV when in these situations and what do they do? Foul the defender.

 

[Plant0x84]

You can make a studs showing slide tackle and not get sent off unless you are Casemiro

You can actually grab people by the throat and throttle the life out of them unless you are Casemiro.

 

[Mindhunter]

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.

 

[tenpoless]

A foul happened, whether a player fouled another, or they fouled each other. Referee's flowchart:

1. Is Casemiro involved? red card to Casemiro
2. Is the player involved plays for the club you don't like? red or yellow card for the player depending on how bad the foul is (bonus points if you give them yellow when it's a minor foul -- you hate them after all)
3. Is the ref unsure? check VAR for less than 2 mins, review nothing just stare at the same segment over and over while missing the big picture and end up choosing decision that is wrong anyway

 

[Hoof the ball]

Keepers in general are a protected species. When Ederson come out and completely wiped out Werner I think it was in the CL and got nothing. That was a red card. Absolute shocker of a "tackle" and the RB player gets a card. It was so bad it was comical.

Oh yeah.

If an attacker jumps for a header and initiates any contact with the keeper it's an immediate foul.

If a keeper initiates equal contact with the opposition striker it's fair game.

The weird logic that a human being with full body use, including arms and hands, is somehow more vulnerable than the opposition striker who has zero use of his hands and arms is hilarious.

 

[Galactic]

That’s what you get when referees don’t play football at a relatively high level. Slow-mo VAR is also so stupid sometimes. They probably assume that players can actually think and change but their minds since the slow-mo is so…slow.

 

[VeevaVee]

Football is WWE lite with a lot of the inconsistencies. You can explain them away as influencing the "spectacle" of the game. Didn't some ref, I think it was Clattenburg, admit as much?

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.

 

[Golden Nugget]

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?

this annoyed me a lot against Villa. Shaw got away with minimal damage - but it’s still dangerous play. Bicycle kicks are great but in a group of crowded players and when he actually catches someone in the head, it should be deemed dangerous play. Seeing that given as a foul, and moments later, Fred given a yellow for kicking the ball away is just weird. It’s right within the laws yeah, but one is harming an opponent and one is not

 

[RK]

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.

 

[Welsh Wonder]

Player goes down softly and wraps arms around ball. Very rarely do they get penalised for doing this, usually just get the free kick.

 

[Baneofthegame]

When a defender is late with a tackle and boots an opposition player, it's a foul and often a card. When a keeper goes to punch the ball clear, is late and sparks out an opposition striker, it's often a free out.

I was just about to post this, the double standards for goalies is unbelievable.

There's also the classic "anywhere else on the pitch that's a foul".

Also, with throw ins/free kicks not being taken in the correct place, if you get either right by the corner flag you are immediately allowed to move it 20yards further forward.

 

[LutonAz]

More of player than a referee, but still valid in the discussion..

When players are taking a corner, why oh why do they have to place the ball as far on the edge of the corner quadrant as possible? We all know what inevitably happens too... a pro footballer that can't beat the first man....