Former English FIFA referee Mark Clattenburg proposes radical reform of football rules
Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
The proposed changes would put an end to players wasting time on the pitch.
Details: Former FIFA and UEFA referee Mark Clattenburg, in a recent interview, suggested a radical solution to the problem of deliberate time-wasting by players during set pieces.
Clattenburg argues that the rules should be tightened and that any time-wasting during set pieces should be punished by canceling the set piece and awarding it to the opposing team:
"Football is an entertainment sport, so we need as much playing time as possible. When I first officiated a Champions League match, only 40 of the 90 minutes were actually played.
I want referees to have the right not to show a yellow card to a player who is wasting time, but instead to overturn the decision. If a player is instructed to take a throw-in and delays, the throw-in should immediately go to the opposing team from the same spot.
Often, players walk to the sideline, toss the ball, move it a long distance, wait for the referee to tell them to return to the original spot, wait some more, get a warning, and the referee notes the sanction. Then, about 10 seconds later, they finally take the throw-in. The player wins. In this way, they gain a minute. If we had the option to overturn the sanction without issuing a warning, this wouldn't happen. Another idea is similar but applies to goal kicks and corner kicks. If an attacker deliberately delays the restart, the sanction is canceled and they lose the corner, which becomes a goal kick. If the goalkeeper does the same, he loses defensive control and the opponents get a corner." Clattenburg explained.
Mark Clattenburg made his professional refereeing debut in 2004. Throughout his career, he officiated such major matches as the 2012 Olympic final, the 2014/15 UEFA Super Cup final, the 2015/16 Champions League final, and the 2016 European Championship final.
In 2019, Clattenburg announced his retirement from refereeing.
Reminder: Fewer delays! FIFA changes rules in a move to end players' time-wasting tactics
