Referee abusers in firing line as Premier League gets tough on players

The Premier League is, as of this season, attempting to draw a line under such behavior; as beardyblue linked in this morning’s Cannon Fodder, the Premier League, Football League, and FA have worked together and drawn up new guidelines for player-referee interactions.

In the last five seasons, no player has been disciplined with a red card for hurling abusive language at a referee, according to the BBC.

This post was syndicated from INFORMATION NIGERIA. It added that entire teams would continue to be sanctioned for surrounding officials. The league introduced a new series of rules to curtail what it calls “intolerable behavior” that could see a rapid rise in the number of yellow and red cards referees might give out.

“Offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures towards match officials” will result in a straight red card, while grabbing the ref’s sleeve, jabbing a finger in his chest or any other “non-aggressive physical contact” will bring a yellow from the official’s top pocket.

Players will no longer be allowed to show dissent without being shown a yellow card.

Protecting the officials is pertinent, and the new rules will definitely reduce the level of 1 or 2-minute madness players can often display once they feel aggrieved by a refereeing decision.

“The Premier League, the EFL, the FA Cup… clearly, across the world, these competitions resonate and people actually look to us to set the example across the world”.

So too can those who make physical contact with match officials in an aggressive or confrontational manner.

Premier League Executive Chairman said the clampdown had arisen from “concerns that certain elements of player behaviour” were “overstepping the mark”.

This includes booking players who show disrespectful behaviour, respond aggressively to decisions, confront an official face to face and run towards an official to contest a decision.

However, these are largely well-established rules and only time will tell how much more firmly officials are able to implement them in the face of precisely the behaviour they are trying to curb.