When will football come into the 21st Century?

[Burl Ives]

Why is this game so far out of line with other sports?

They've only just got goal line technology...why?

They have 2 linesmen who only cover half the pitch, so if somone wants to dive or dirty tackle there's no linesman there to see it to help the ref!

There's no Video monitoring official, Why?

There's only one ref, how many in Aussie rules, American Football or Baseball?

If there's a foul, you get a yellow card which may affect the next game, but in rugby union you get sin binned for 10 minutes....immediate team punishment!

If there's an incident the ref doesn't stop the clock and someone later decides how many minutes to add on...that's not very transparent!

Bearing all these things in mind I think I know what FIFA stands for...Football Is For Antiquarians!

[bigbamboo]

I take it you've never heard of the diagonal system of control which allows the referee to have a linesman as his second pair of eyes and negates the need for umpteen umpires throwing flags all over the pitch.

The technology issue in football has always been problematic because of the free flowing nature of the game. There aren't natural stoppages as in rugby or endless advertising breaks to be filled as in American Football. And at what level do you introduce technology? Not all games in all competitions would be able to use it. And we don't need clocks now that the referee advises how much extra time there is to be played and the unknown element adds to the drama anyway, seeing managers losing it on the touchline Fergie style!

However you have a point or two. The issue with yellow cards is a joke with referees too often issuing cards arbitrarily and for mistakes and not deliberate foul play. At the WC for example a player can get a match ban for two minor infractions whilst another can get away with nothing for much worse. Also a sin bin would be a far greater deterrent with the team receiving an on the spot punishment, far worse than a ban further down the line.

Football's biggest problem is down to the players themselves.... cheating.... and that's as old as the hills.

[VINCENT2012]

more documentary and less football

[moonwolf]

i am all for

If there's a foul, you get a yellow card which may affect the next game, but in rugby union you get sin binned for 10 minutes....immediate team punishment!

but in the case of some teams you could end up playing with 9 men v 11 for some of the match

[Aforek]

For UEFA, it's because Platini is very old fashion, he still believes in "human judgement"

it's true that the most popular sport in the world is very late compared, for instance, to rugby ( american football, I don't know, I am European.)

[jacky54]

Should certainly have video review for penalty decisions, still too many players diving to con the refs.

[Buckeye21]

It would be nice to see them crack down on diving as well.