FL2: Oxford v Torquay Utd - 9 April 2012

So its back to the offside trap and squeezing the game into a narrow band in the middle of the pitch where no passing football can survive?

You might want to take football back to the Dark Ages but I'm not interested in returning to those bad old days.

And it happened again yesterday which you pointed out at the time.

But Premier League referees? How can the Laws as they stand be reconciled with the decisions during a game when Martin Atkinson doesn't even give a free kick against Mario Balotelli for a studs up challenge on Alex Song; then the FA cowardly refuse to take retrospective action because Atkinson/Asst Ref apparently saw a bit of it, and FIFA don't want them to undermine the ref's decision?

Bullocks. FIFA are always delegating responsibility to the National FAs for taking decisions: The FA hid their heads in the sand yet again.

There are two areas for a red card with Balotelli's challenge; either excessive force of serious foul play:

“Using excessive force” means that the player has far exceeded the necessary use of force and is in danger of injuring his opponent.
• A player who uses excessive force must be sent off

Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play. Advantage should not be applied in situations involving serious foul play unless there is a clear subsequent opportunity to score a goal. The referee must send off the player guilty of serious foul play when the ball is next out of play.

A player who is guilty of serious foul play should be sent off and play is
restarted with a direct free kick from the position where the offence occurred (see Law 13 – Position of free kick) or a penalty kick (if the offence occurred inside the offender’s penalty area).

www.fifa.com/worldfootball/lawsofthegame/index.html
www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/81/42/36/lawsofthegame_2011_12_en.pdf

So the Law is very clear. However, not only did the referee ignore it, but so did the authority that claims to control the game in this country.

It's not the Laws that need changing it's both FIFA and The FA for their consistent refusal to enforce the application of the Laws.

Then we have Shaun Derry getting sent off for QPR v Red Debtors following a challenge on an offside Ashley Young who clearly, er, simulated the foul. QPR appealed against the decision but that appeal was incredibly turned down:

"The e-mail we got back from the FA was one line telling me my appeal had not been successful. That's as far as it went."

It's very clear from the offside Law that Young was "committing an offense" to use FIFA's language. It's clear from the camera angles that Young was guilty of "simulation" (why can't FIFA just cut to the quick and call it cheating?). Yet the FA are too inept to even explain why they are turning down what most neutral observers would consider one of the most justified appeals this season.

The Laws don't need changing. The body that controls our game does need changing.

You're lucky, I've got a sore arse after last nights curry.

Rags, I don't want to 'take football back to the dark ages' eg: total football 70's Ajax etc.. Just think until we get a Lino with the three sets of eyes mentioned, the law is an ass.