Penalty is goal-scoring opportunity say coaches

Some years ago, I was watching a televised football match where an attacker was bearing down on goal with the ball at his feet. Only the goalkeeper remained between him and the goal and, despite being hotly pursued by a defender, he skilfully slotted the ball past the helpless keeper. Just the sort of thing that you and I as spectators want to see, open football, skilful players, excellent goals. 

The legendary Bobby Charlton was the television co-commentator. He applauded the goal but he expressed the view, that the defender would be in for a slating by his manager, for not bringing the attacker down before he could score. 

I was shocked by this comment from one of my footballing heroes, but he was only acknowledging what coaches were instilling in their players. If an opponent has a clear run at goal and you can't tackle him fairly, bring him down anyway. So you give away a free kick, it's better than a goal: even if it's a penalty, penalty kicks have been missed. 

Remember, they used to call it the 'professional foul'. It got that name because it was mainly used by professional players, having been indoctrinated by their coaches. Coaches or managers, whatever name they go under, in the professional game are under enormous pressure. Results are all that matter. Goals by opponents must be stopped at all cost. 

It was this disregard for the laws of the game and more importantly for the spirit of the game, that led the game's law makers. the International FA Board, to act. First in 1996 to give an interpretation that this behaviour constituted serious foul play and then two years later, to write it into the laws as a separate sending-off offence. It reads, 'A player who denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player's goal, by an offence punishable by a free kick or penalty kick, is sent off. 

This was a law forced on the game by the philosophy of the coaches but now the coaches are fighting back. UEFA has had representations made by the Europe Elite Coaches Forum, which includes Aresène Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, and Gérard Houllier. Apparently they accept that if the last man brings down an opponent outside the penalty area and denies a goal scoring chance, then there is no choice but a red card. However they say, if a player brings the opponent down inside the penalty area, the opposing side are awarded a penalty, so they are being given that goal- scoring chance back. In that situation, they suggest, the referee should have the option of a red or a yellow card. 

To my mind the coaches are missing the whole point of this punishment. This clause was introduced, like so many other alterations to the laws of the game in recent years, to give an advantage to the skilful players over the cloggers. The aim is to provide a more exciting game for everyone. Nothing spoils a game more than players continually being brought down, moves being frustrated by shirt-pulling preventing players getting to the ball. 

Not only must the punishment be certain and act as a deterrent, it must be more than a free-kick or penalty. Imagine if players thought they might get away with that sort of offence and only receive a caution. They would consider it worth risking a yellow card, especially as coaches would be quick to point, penalties can be missed. 

If UEFA decide to put the coaches' report forward, it would have to be considered by the International FA Board at their annual laws review next February. Let's hope that they don't fall for this softened approach, no matter how distinguished its proposers.


Dick Sawdon Smith

 

 

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© R Sawdon Smith 2004