A game of cards

Once upon a time the first thing you heard about a game, after the result, was who had scored, who had played well and so on. Now you are told the number of cards and you hear people going on about ‘confetti’ and ‘card happy’ referees; at least one paper publishes a list of Premiership referees ranked by cards. I personally don’t know any referees who are happy about the number of cards they are having to show. Remember they have to write a report on every caution or sending-off.

A better way to communicate

So how has it all come about? There isn’t a simple answer - except to the question about who invented them. It was our own FIFA referee of yesteryear, Ken Aston. He was driving home after a match, thinking how the referee could communicate better about cautions and sendings-off. He came to traffic lights and had the answer. Cards were introduced in the Football League in 1976.

More cards inevitable

But that doesn’t explain the number. The increase probably began in 1982 when the FA specifically outlawed the ‘professional foul’. As the game at the top levels has become more and more commercial, the incentive to break the Laws has increased. Conning the referee, as we saw in the recent World Cup, has became an art form. Not surprisingly, FlFA (especially boss Sepp Blatter) has responded.

Each year more mandatory instructions are issued which tell referees precisely what they must do in certain circumstances. And the result is inevitably more cards.

But is it right? Probably. Even with the present level of sanctions, some professional players still do monstrous things and must continue to be punished.

Alternatives should be considered

However, I would also favour a more creative approach and different sanctions, especially for more minor and technical offences, like moving the ball on 10 yards for dissent, and the sin-bin as a lower-level and temporary sending-off.

Although players on the local parks are bound to be influenced by what they see on TV, most, to their credit, still want to play fairly and enjoy the game. As we do.

Always remember it is the players who commit the fouls. For all their mistakes - and they are bound to make some - referees do not.

Brian Palmer

© B. Palmer 1998

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