Lunatic Blatter changes suspension rules

Last updated : 25 September 2002 By Tony Scholes

FIFA President Sepp Blatter
Players having received red cards wrongly have seen them rescinded. These include Iffy Onuoara of Sheffield United and KKMC’s Shaun Wright-Phillips who was the latest casualty of Barry Knight. This can only be applauded, it is only right and proper that a player sent off incorrectly should have the red card rescinded.

There has also been the crazy situation that sees a player deemed to have committed an offence being subject to trial by video but only if the referee didn’t see it. If the referee has seen it and made a bad mistake, the David Beckham incident, then no action can be taken. This surely should be reviewed to bring in some consistency.

But however bad the system though it is going to get worse with the new FIFA directives that now mean an automatic suspension regardless of whether the referee has it right or not. According to FIFA a referee can make as many mistakes as he likes now but will never be wrong.

Any player sent off, either for two yellows or a straight red, will serve an immediate one match suspension regardless of whether he is innocent of an offence of guilty. There will be no two week delay before the suspension starts any longer it will be the next game in that particular competition.

Unfortunately dreadful football administration is not limited to this country and the anything Crozier, Burns and Harris have ever been capable of then FIFA President Sepp Blatter can do it better.

In an amazing statement yesterday Blatter explained the new rule change by saying,

"We must respect and protect the position of the referee and the fundamental laws of the game. From now on any player sent off will face an immediate suspension for one match. The decision has no place for speculation.

"The player has to serve his one-match suspension immediately. If a player commits a foul and is sent off then no scientific evidence, whether camera or other, will change this decision."

This surely means that no longer will video evidence be available to punish a player when an incident has been missed by officials. They cannot have it both ways and if a referee cannot be questioned when he punishes a player incorrectly then it cannot work the other way. It also means that it gives the likes of Barry Knight to run amok at football matches and get away with it.

The only time an appeal will be allowed is in situations where the offence is worthy of a longer ban than one match, an appeal can then be heard against the extra games but the automatic ban will stand.

That’s clear cut then, but wait a minute, Blatter then goes on to make a complete fool of himself. Having said that referees decisions must be respected he adds,

"From now on any player who is sent off will automatically miss the next match in the same competition. There are no exceptions unless the referee says he has made a mistake or there is a mistaken identity."

Yes, Blatter is a complete lunatic but has been given the power to damage the game at will. Apparently the new rule change is expected to come in by next Tuesday at the latest and will effect every level of football in ever FIFA member country.