Cheats Prosper ?

By KJ
May 26 2003

Cheats Prosper
Very year now there seems to be some call for a change to the rules of the game. A few years ago, and not surprisingly after America had staged the World Cup, there was calls for the goals to be made larger. Then, on this American turn, there was calls to have the game split into quarters.
The above never happened of course, and the game is basically the same has its always been. The only major change I can think of since I’ve been watching football is the back pass rule. This rule, I’m sure we all agree has improved the game in some way. As well as changes to the rules there has been talk of changes to the format, ie winter breaks, seasons running from February to November amongst many others, these need discussion on their own though and I’m talking about the rules only.
Every year, there seems some FIFA directive to stamp out something in the game. Firstly they tried to get rid of the Proffesional foul, with the offender being sent off. This was a good idea and in the main it has worked, although it can be a grey area sometimes. Then they tried to get rid of the tackle from behind, which was punishable by a booking, again can be controversial. Another outlawed activity is the two footed tackle, which can be very dangerous. However, when no injury takes place, one can fell for the player who is sent off without injuring anyone. The elbow is another very difficult one to call, how can you tell if it is deliberate or not ?
Of course now, if the referee misses some of the above instances, then the player can be given “trial by video”, as we are seeing with Steven Gerrard and possibly Dennis Berkhamp, only this week. Of course, no fan wants to see such activity in the game but it is difficult to call. Couple this with the fact that FIFA want to stop all players appeals against bookings or sendings off. Fortunately at the moment, it doesn’t apply in this country, with the FA insisting they wont change the rules halfway through the season.
Another recent ruling is the new law against “simulation”, I believe they call it, or to me and you, “diving”. The rules, as we all know is very dodgy. For a good dive can still fool a ref. in a match situation and is too difficult to call. Sometimes now, if the ref. isn’t sure it’s a penalty or free kick, he doesn’t give it, but then has to book the player. This is another pressure referees are being forced to deal with, and in the end it does no good.
Despite all of these “clampdowns” pure cheating, when seen, mainly goes unpunished. I’m not talking “gamesmanship”, I’m talking cheating. Players still dive to get penalties, and there’s not a lot you can do at the time. You can afterwards though, on video, when you can see the obvious ones, why not throw the book at these ? Then there’s the blatant cheats, such as Man Yoo’s 21st century “Grobbelaar” Fabian Barthez. His recent antics with penalties are without doubt, cheating. There is no other way to describe it. Ok, some keepers move about a bit, and keep hold of the ball if possible, but what he does is, cheating. Other occasions when the authorities could do something, the most famous one, was of course, Maradona’s “hand of God”. Now I know the result cant be altered but why not throw him out of the tournament. What he did was far worse than taking any type of drug. Yes, in athletics, certain substances can assist in an individual sport, but footballs a team game. I doubt if Argentina would have won the World Cup in 1994 with their “drug” cheat, but they won it in 1986 with their “football cheat”.
Yet nothing gets done against the main wrong dooers, its just easy, to book players for dissent. Missed time challenges and alike. Mind you, FIFA nor UEFA would never outlaw such things. Can you imagine the difference it would make to soccer history ? . If diving, cheating and cynical fouls were outlawed years ago, you could half the amount of Latin teams winning major events. If you outlawed corruption as well, then Argentina would have never won the World Cup. I suppose soccer is just like society these days, the wrong doers always seem to prosper and the innocent suffer. A good example for us soccer fans, is Everton striker “Big Duncan Ferguson”. He hit the headlines recently after the burglar he tackled claimed he had been assaulted, fortunately the case was dropped. Mind you, the burglar can count himself lucky, the last man to burgle the Ferguson household spent three days in hospital. Maybe this is an idea for the Judges who don’t want to jail burglars, send em round to Big Dunc, he’ll sort it.