A few weeks ago I commented on the trials and tribulations
that referees of Reading's under-15 school's team had faced in
earlier rounds of the English School's FA Cup.
Reading FC's historian, David Downs, is
also known to many people as the doyen of schools football in
the town. Now that the under-15s have reached the final, he
has told me that the referee faced even greater controversy
when Reading last won the cup. They did it with an 'illegal'
goal, when they scored direct from a corner.
'What's wrong with that? I can hear you
asking but the fact is that they last reached the final in
1920 and, until 1927, a goal couldn't be scored direct from a
corner. It was considered an indirect free kick.
Today everyone knows you can score
from a corner but what about a goal kick or the kick-off? It
wasn't until seventy years later, 1997, that the law was
changed to make it possible to score direct from kick-off or a
goal kick but even now some people are not aware of it.
I am often asked, particularly when some
controversial change is made, how law changes come about, who
instigates them and how are they agreed?
The answer goes back to the early days
of football in this country. To have international matches
between the four 'home' countries, of England, Scotland, Wales
and Ireland, everyone obviously needed to play to the same set
of laws.
The International Football Association
Board was formed in 1883, with each of the four countries
having two representatives and then as the game spread
throughout the world, FIFA was invited to have two members as
well. The inclusion of FIFA on the Board meant that all
national associations who are in membership with FIFA, have to
abide by the law changes. This ensures that where ever the
game is played in the world, they are bound by the same set of
laws.
At a later date, the number of
representatives was increased to four for each of the
associations and that included FIFA. The crunch was, however,
that each home country is now restricted to one vote, while
FIFA have four. When you consider that FIFA is responsible for
the rest of the football world, then this doesn't seem too
unfair, There has to be a three-quarters majority for a new
law or a law to be altered so it can be seen that if FIFA
doesn't like, it won't get passed.
The Board meets annually and has done so
since 1883, except for the war years. The way law changes get
instigated is that any federation, as national associations
are known, is entitled to put forward suggestions to the
Board. This year when the Board met in February, there were
sixteen proposals, of which half were approved and the other
half were either thrown out or withdrawn. Some were tidying up
operations, clearer wording to existing laws, whilst others
were more radical changes.
One example was a proposal from the
Welsh FA, that a player could only be offside in their
opponent's penalty area. Thankfully that was withdrawn without
discussion.
Earlier in the season, I wrote about the
suggestion from the European Elite Coaches group, who wanted
the offence of denying a goal scoring opportunity downgraded
to a caution if it happened in the penalty area. This made it
to the list but was withdrawn at the last minute.
The new laws will come into force next
season and, although there is nothing major, players may find
one or to surprises. None of this will worry the Reading
under-15 squad, when they play the second leg of their final
at the Madejski Stadium next Monday, 25th April. I'm sure we
all wish them luck and hope that all their goals and good and
legal.