The Gillette

[Deleted]

Vanishing shaving foam has started today in the Premier League, so let's see how it effects the game. I watched the Man U - Swansea game today and Mr. Dean moved the line back to put the spray down. By the time he got to the far end of the line one player had moved forward and some foam went on his shoe. Mr. Dean turned his back and the player kicked the foam into the back of Mr. Dean. By he time the free kick was taken all players in the wall were a foot over the foam line (maybe it has disappeared already? ). So, in this instance use of the foam created two problems: 1. what can be done about the disrespect from the player kicking the foam at the ref (and the message that sends to young viewers/players) and 2. what to do about players ignoring the vanishing line?

[E7#9]

Instant red card for any disrespectful behaviour, including swearing, arguing with officials etc. it's about time these petulant little morons who call themselves professionals were taught a lesson in manners.

[Deleted]

Aug 16, 2014 22:54:45 GMT @peacockbrewer said:

Vanishing shaving foam has started today in the Premier League, so let's see how it effects the game. I watched the Man U - Swansea game today and Mr. Dean moved the line back to put the spray down. By the time he got to the far end of the line one player had moved forward and some foam went on his shoe. Mr. Dean turned his back and the player kicked the foam into the back of Mr. Dean. By he time the free kick was taken all players in the wall were a foot over the foam line (maybe it has disappeared already? ). So, in this instance use of the foam created two problems: 1. what can be done about the disrespect from the player kicking the foam at the ref (and the message that sends to young viewers/players) and 2. what to do about players ignoring the vanishing line?

Didn't see the game but accepting that what you said happened, Mr Dean wasn't doing his job very effectively. Not a problem with the spray, a problem with the ref.

1. Ungentlemanly conduct = yellow card
2. Encroachment = yellow card and re-take (if kick has been taken)

[Deleted]

Aug 17, 2014 6:30:06 GMT E7#9 said:

Instant red card for any disrespectful behaviour, including swearing, arguing with officials etc. it's about time these petulant little morons who call themselves professionals were taught a lesson in manners.

ez - yeah, but if refs did so by letter of the law there wouldn't be enough players on the pitch to complete most games. the game has devolved to that point imo. So in an attempt to add a bit of glitz and pizzazz to the game, adding a spray foam line, they have created more problems for the referee to deal with. AND, the ref is then blamed further for not handing a situation that happened behind his back. If the foam had not been used neither of the above problems would have happened, the 2nd wrt 'visibly' being over a line in the sand. How refs handled this in the past was to move the line back 11-12 yards because they know players will cheat. I assume they are and will continue to do so even with the foam but the players cheating/disrespect for the game is now highlighted even more by the shaving foam. And the ref gets the stick for failing to deal with it?? Proper solution.

We're kidding ourselves if we think that sending a Rooney off for ref abuse will fix him at this point in his career.
My point has always been that instead of wasting money on these "solutions" the money should be put into grassroots to build respect back into the game at that level. Use this money to Train and pay proper coachs for 'all' levels of play in grassroots football. In the USA there has to be 2 trained officials on the sideline for each team for every game in grassroots football and also in college/semi-pro/and professional levels (if one gets sent to the stands and there is no backup the game is over and the team/club are fined). They both have to wear their coaching certifiction on a lanyard around their neck as well as their First Aid and Child Protection certification. If the parents/fans misbehave the coach is warned once and then sent to the stands if it continues. This builds respect into the game at a young age, and if you watched the USA team in the last WC you saw the results.

[Deleted]

Announced today!

The Football League is to introduce the use of vanishing spray by referees into its competitions from January 1, 2015.

The decision comes after a successful trial in the early rounds of this season's Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Having received positive feedback from clubs, referees and supporters, the Football League has instructed officials to begin using the product in all matches played in the Sky Bet Football League, Capital One Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy from the mid-point of the current campaign.

[Deleted]

Excellent, simple and effective.

Now if they could just reintroduce a white ball except when conditions required a different colour...

[Deleted]

Is he having a poke at the shaving foam?

[Deleted]

Even though it's the daily mail it is true, we all saw it!

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2957667/David-Luiz-moves-referee-s-spray-PSG-team-mate-Zlatan-Ibrahimovic-better-angle-goal-free-kick.html

[Deleted]

Official behind the goal and the linesman on this side apparently failed to see it along with the referee… Not very good.

[Deleted]

Also was wondering where the linesman was looking on this 'no goal' decision from Scotland?

[Deleted]

in an attempt to add a bit of glitz and pizzazz to the game, adding a spray foam line, they have created more problems for the referee to deal with. AND, the ref is then blamed further for not handing a situation that happened behind his back, or out of view. If the foam had not been used the problem would not have happened. How refs handled this in the past was to move the line back 11-12 yards because they know players will cheat. Now they measure 10 yards and spay a line but the players cheating/disrespect for the game is now highlighted even more by the shaving foam. And the ref gets the stick for failing to deal with it?? Proper solution. :/

My point has always been that instead of wasting money on these "solutions" the money should be put into grassroots to build respect back into the game. Use this money to Train and pay proper coachs for 'all' levels of play in grassroots football. This would build respect into the game at a young age.

[Deleted]

I genuinely don't think the introduction of the spray had anything to do with glitz and pizazz. In my opinion it was introduced to help deal with a highly visible bit of cheating - mass encroachment at free kicks (and movement of the ball by the free kick taker). Overall I think it has been successful. I don't think it takes much time, studies by the inventor suggest the overall time for free kicks is reduced and it has the benefit of being a visual aid for the referee and linemen as well as allowing the crowd to have a better clue. I don't think it costs much either.

As for referees moving the wall back 11-12 yards 'because they know players will cheat' is p[lain nonsense. like a referee once told me he adds on 1 min and 3 mins as standard and a bit extra for anything out of the ordinary, i.e. he guesses. Don't guess or expect cheating, just do it right and maintain the laws.

In this particular case 'behind his back' the linesman, extra official behind the goal (after all he has nothing much else to do) and 4th official could all have alerted the ref by their headsets and microphones that Luiz had been a bit of a pillock.

I don't disagree with the need to get it right at grass roots, but also I think there is sufficient money in the game to do that too.

[Deleted]

Your points make perfect sense in an ideal world, however I think they are quite ambitious because unfortunately cheating is so deeply engrained that it is virtually impossible to "enforce the laws". When was the last time you saw Wayne Rooney sent off for telling the referee to f... Off, throwing vile tantrums etc. The same would apply to the wall encroaching from 10 yards, if a player was booked every time they stepped over the line in the sand....It doesn't happen because if the laws were consistently enforced most games would have to be abandoned for too few players. You can't teach old dogs new tricks, and the foam is a prime example of that. The teaching has to happen at at grassroots level with properly trained coaches, not the strikers dad, and enforced discipline for cheating

IMO, these technology improvements are glitz and pizzazz, and rather than solving a problem they create new problems. They are a part of the Americanisation of the beautiful game. Coming soon is the managers 3 red flags per game where they can challenge a decision, stop play and view a video. That has been a part of American Football for decades. Next will be TV commercials during those stoppages and eventually a 90 minute game will take 3 hours to play, but the junk food sales will rise a so will commercial revenues. I think we have to agree to disagree on these "improvements" to the game.

[Deleted]

I don't think we are miles apart.

Of course there is a problem with sending off any player that tells the ref to 'f off' and I agree we need to try to educate it out, but there should be more done about it with clear guidelines set out and followed. I recall something about crowding the ref being issued as a guideline yet not much seems to have been done about it. I would advocate that issues raised with the ref should be through the captain as in rugby union. That does not stop other players talking to the ref, but it does help stop them arguing with the ref.

Steve McLaren at Derby saying that foul language is being drummed out of the club, whether on the touchline or what ever is interesting if it is genuine.

The foam though seems a simple addition to make everything a bit easier. Do you think there is more encroachment than before it, less or no difference? I would say, in the games I have watched undeniably less.

I do agree that there is no need for video replays and red flags, incidentally that only came in in the NFL in 1999 yet cricket started using it in 1992 and that is not 'Americanisation'. The difference in both games is that they have natural stoppages after every play/ball. Football is different and should not follow.

[Deleted]

Did anyone watch or record the Everton-Kiev match last night? Don't know what type of foam Spanish refs use but it's strange. At 36mins a line was sprayed on the 16 yard line for a free kick. Of course several players were well over the line when the kick was taken, so no change there, but when Naismith scored in the 39th minute the foam was still there on the 16 yard line even though it was pouring buckets.??