The corruption or incompetence of IFAB (International Football Association Boards) by Jon Fox
Fellow Gooners, I want to discuss the corruption or incompetence of IFAB. IFAB is the International Football Association Boards founded in 1886 by the four football associations of Britain and Ireland.
They formed the rules of association football, grandly hyped as being “laws” which is technically not true, as laws can be enacted only by Parliaments. Though for ease of writing, I will use the incorrect word of “laws” in this article. Over the years other countries football associations have joined IFAB and now it comprises thirteen associations all told. Great Britain and Ireland still retain a vote for each country, making four votes.
FIFA altogether also has just four votes, so neither FIFA nor the British countries can outvote each other without aid of the other five votes from other countries.
Over most of its time IFAB has been a force for sensible change, from the days where goalkeepers were not, as now, a single person in a team, but the last defender could act as a keeper. I do not wish to discuss all the original rules, which are not relevant to this piece and have changed beyond all recognition, especially the offside interpretations.
I wish to concentrate on a few key areas that have badly needed changing for some time now.
Firstly, the deliberate crowding of the goalkeeper from corners and free kicks near to the corner area. It has become a farce, with keepers regularly being deliberately obstructed and hemmed in.
Many sensible people have long suggested that NO player except the keeper be allowed inside the six-yard box, until a corner or free kick has been taken, which would free up the keeper to have a fair chance to catch a cross, instead of being bullied by opponents, deliberately choosing to obstruct him and put bodies in his way. And the shirt tugging and fouling that goes on constantly at ALL corners would be far less and make the game fairer.
But IFAB do precisely NOTHING, but allow this farce to continue unchanged year after year after year. Why? Are they stupid? Are they corrupt? Or are they BOTH those things, as I BELIEVE THEY ARE!
Secondly, freekicks where the goal is in range, take monstrously FAR too long. Why? Well, the referees themselves are complicit in aiding time being wasted. They slowly walk and then mark the ten-yard distance and then use the silly “shaving foam” nonsense to mark a crooked line. And meanwhile much time, not added on at the end, speeds by.
I have deliberately timed free kicks and corners seen in big games on TV of late, and am appalled by the time wasted while nothing of any action happens at all. I have noted a number of free kicks just outside the penalty area, where from whistle to the free kick being taken a full NINETY seconds goes by. This is a disgrace and cheats we fans of action.
Corners and throw ins, esp by slowcoach Ben White, take ages to be taken. I am sick to death of White standing on the touchline, while holding the ball on the top of his head while twenty seconds or more goes by before he chooses to take the throw. This happens very often in all our games and with many other clubs too, while the ref does absolutely nothing.
Likewise, when a keeper with the ball in his hand, sometimes, in fact usually, takes far longer than the allotted six seconds to release the ball, esp when they wish to waste time.
Another farce that never seems to be picked up, by refs or pundits or even fans, is the regular stepping just outside the actual penalty area while still holding the ball, which happens several times in most games. THAT OUGHT TO BE A RED CARD BUT NEVER IS. It goes by uncommented upon and never even mentioned, but it is cheating and deliberately done. Why not then? You tell me!!
YET, IN THE SCENARIO THAT A KEEPER IS SLIDING ON THE GROUND RUSHING OUT TO MEET AN ONCOMING FORWARD AND HIS MOMENTUM CARRIES HIM JUST OUTSIDE THE AREA WHILE HOLDING THE BALL, A RED CARD IS AUTOMATIC, AS THE LAW STATES.
Inconsistency in applying the laws is now almost “expected” and is a disgrace. Why does IFAB do nothing about it!!
It is IFAB, not FIFA who make footballs laws. FIFA runs the world game but defers to IFAB for laws and IFAB is the organisation which is not doing what it should.
Of course, all-knowing football fans are well aware that FIFA and UEFA ARE ALSO BOTH CORRUPT and not fit for purpose, but in this piece, I wish to discuss IFAB and to berate them as useless, as corrupt and caring only about their own power and not the good of the game.
Fellow Gooners, I WELCOME YOUR TAKE ON THIS PIECE AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR PERSONAL SERIOUS-MINDED SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS, ESPECIALLY TO STOP BLATANT TIME WASTING.
COYG!
Jon Fox
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I think the important question is: “DOES WHITE HAVE A COACH, AND WHAT DOES HE SAY TO HIM ABOUT HIS IRRITATING THROW INS THAT LITERALLY KILL THE FLOW OF THE GAME”?
Odear you just noticed Mr slow boy Ben White this is not
Time wasting it’s just he’s bloody slow with everything
He does it’s just painful watching it . He’s the most Over rated
Arsenal player I’ve ever seen and I hope an pray we won’t have
To watch him for much longer, Arsenal will not win anything
With White in the back four .
Arteta has admitted that he has told David Raya to waste time and slow the game when he has the ball at his feet. Maybe he has said the same thing to Ben?
To White? Even when we are behind or only level, as is sometimes the case? Not a likely scenario I reckon!
Hes even not improving..how can he b this dull after playing with saka for sometimes…timber better come back…
My question, is White assigned to take throwings? If he is and still waste time on it, may be he is yet to be repremanded by his coach or it’s a tactics. Which ever way, his throwings is irritating and time wasting. I bet if he is giving a card once he will improve.
Agree on the throw ins, not just white but probably all players take an age to throw, throw ins take longer than penalty kicks, maybe a time limit needs to be considered.
Don’t tell Tomi there’s no penalty for slow throw-ins. A non-serious comment – oops, sorry Jon.
Also why do refs wait for Saka to be taken down 20 times and also wait to the second half before punishing for the foul.
Also regarding throwins, Arsenal are usually poor with throwins in general. White is a poor fullback who lacks ambition going forward, never overlapping and is always hanging half way down the pitch waiting for the easy backpass.
He also lacks the recovery energy to get back and prevent the early in swinging crosses by the opposition.
We need an energetic true Fullback that can get up and down the pitch and help both our defence and also help solve the doubling up problem with the isolated Saka who never gets help by his fullback.
The throw ins is just a bonus to show how slow and non-urgent his overal poor gameplay is at this present time. Maybe he is carrying an injury we don’t know about?
So far , unsurprisingly, not a single comment about time wasting as a awhole but only about White or Tomi. I had HOPED for more serious minded comments and PERHAPS they MAY still come along
But as for those so far…. Oh dear! Not wrong but simply far too narrow!
IF anyone has more wide reaching views on the whole wretched business of GENERAL TIME WASTING, please post them on this thread.
The very simple answer to ALL the time wasting efforts, was to adopt the method used in the last world cup.
We saw 10 – 15 minutes of extra time being added and what happened?
1. Managers started to complain that their players were being overworked and it could even mean more injuries while adding the equivalent of an extra game each season… poor overworked flowers that they are!!
2. Media pundits also took up the “plight” of these overpaid players…. while the cynic in me wondered if it was because the extra time was causing havoc with the likes of sky, BBC etc etc.
3. Another reason to not use the system was that fans would have difficulty getting away from the grounds to catch trains, buses, planes etc etc – now this one I do have sympathy with, having been caught out a couple of times myself – The answer? Bring the kick off time forward.
What’s wrong with an evening kick off of 7.00pm and a Saturday kick off of 3.00pm?
We know the answer to that as well – Bugger the fans, it all has to do with television and their scheduling once again.
Who ever would have thought that a Sunday evening game would be shown live that finishes around 9.00pm? Absolute madness, but, as we all know, money talks.
On to individuals and, ONCE AGAIN, the officials have the power to control and / or stop time wasting, but they very rarely use it AND if they do, they book the offenders (usually the GK) with just minutes left of the game.
I don’t agree with Jon regarding the shaving foam, as this does give the referee the opportunity to say EXACTLY where HE wants the free kick taken and where any defenders can also stand – thank heaven this is one rule that ALL referees adhere too.
It also allows them to concentrate completely on the free kick situation itself.
Jon’s point regarding crowding the keeper and shirt pulling? Follow the rule book andoenakise deliberate obstruction OR god forbid var technology to determine the situation.
As for naming individual players, we could go through every PL team and name and shame – it’s up to the referees to use the law book and enforce the rules.. Simple really in my opinion.
Bless you KEN for giving your own seriously considered THOUGHTS on time wasting. Though we are not in total agreement, obviously, you have at least shown a non parochial view and discussed the wider topic, as I had hoped many would do.
Its possible some still MAY, of course ,but so far you are thr FIRST to discuss the WIDER aspect of this wretched topic. FOR THAT YOU HAVE MY SINCERE THANKS!
Jon, I sometimes find if the topic is not bashing individuals, be it managers, players or even fellow Gooners, the response is lethargic – the exception of course being VAR technology!
Sadly Ken, you speak truth!
What frustrates my ever enquiring mind on such a parochial site as a fan site- not that JA is fundamentally from other club fansites in that of course – is the lack of people interested in anything much at all OUTSIDE, or not SPECIFICALLY CONCERNED with, their own club only.
I find that a deeply depressing fact and have to say that I think it practically pointless any more in even TRYING to widen fans perspectives.
On fansites we get wider thinking fans and we get reactive fans and, sadly, reactive fans are MASSIVELY more common than wider thinking fans.
The large majority of fans of large clubs are far too obviously biased in favour of their OWN team and interested ONLY in their own teams winning things.
Or in criticising those running their club. HUGE SIGH!!
PS: I am sure you have noticed , as I have, that almost ALL of reactive fans are males.
Among females we get a higher percentage of wider thinking fans, Sue P being the most obvious example of that on JA.
Good comments on the whining of managers and the true driver of most issues, money. One issue though, if the defenders wait a minute the shaving cream disappears and they can encroach on the ten yards. That would really drive me mad, lol.
Some would call that a close shave BB, but var would clear it up or, as Wrighty would say, you’ll get your money back!!
Too funny! Thanks.
Time wasting has its place. If Arsenal were one nil up in the Champions League Final and our opponent was pressing hard for an equaliser in the last minutes I am sure the author of this post would be singing Ben Whites praises for taking his time.
Me2, That proves how LITTLE you KNOW about the author of this piece.
That author, myself, cares far more for the good of the whole game than he ever has done for the mere success of his own team.
I realise that concept is so alien to you that it is impossible for you to believe it!
I’m sure White isn’t time wasting, as he takes ages to throw in even in the first minute of a game, I think he’s just bloody useless at taking them!
I agree that it is unlikely his constant time wasting is deliberate.
He is terrified of giving the ball away when throwing and would rather take all day than throw the ball where an opponent can get it.
You have to wonder, who within the club, causes him to be SO terrified!!
I don’t like the time added on board and would prefer to take the “time” out of the hands of the referee as he has too much to do controlling the players/game. A time keeper in control of a large visble clock could control/countdown the time as for example in rubgy, ice hockey etc. The time keeper could be guidance of time allowed for throws ins, corners, free kick, substitutions etc and stop the clock if time is exceeded and only start it when ball is in play.
I must say it might not work in football though as it seems other sports can do things such as VAR equivalents!
Thank you MARK for making a serious minded and sensible comment, IMO, on this important topic.
Hey Jon, I do agree with a lot you have said, especially the assault on goalkeepers from corners. Also the new ruling that allows play to carry on after some particularly hard tackles, as show by Bukayo Saka being deliberately assaulted, because defenders know that referees will let many very bad tackles go. I do think Ben White is a weirdly slow player in everything he does. He can’t speed up. Have you seen him interviewed? It takes a long time even to respond to questions…the opposite of ADHD.
I certainly have noticed EXACTLY THAT Sean.
It is widely known that White is not in love with football and its not his passion , that is when not playing.
To him it is his job only and though he is no slacker and tries as hard as anyone, he is something of an oddity among players , as almost ALL are totally besotted with the game that provides their living.
Most of we fans find it hard to reconcile the undoubted generality that most pro players are not especially fans of the club they are playing for at any one time.
Of course, except for a tiny few, all players give their all when wearing the shirt and essentially that is all we fans are entitled to expect.
Some might well think that makes BW a more well rounded person.
I dont know if that is true or not, but its a strong possibility I believe.
It takes all sorts to make even a footballl world and IMO that is all to the good.
Jon, I do agree with your article in part, that the “laws” are outdated and in my opinion not evolving fast enough to keep up with the modern game. I think this is because of the “old boys’ club” mentality projected by these archaic organisations, such as IFAB, FIFA, et al. to continue the defalcation of funds, instead of using them to modernise the game, especially technologically. These organisations all need an overhaul, to be stripped of their grandfather rights and bought forward, into the 21st Century.
With Ben White though, I get completely we he takes time. He has been instructed to not give the ball away at throw ins. The team uses far less energy when in possession than they do without, when you play a pressing style. With the style we play, the quicker you get the ball back from the opposition, the more energy is conserved by your teammates because your they will not have to continue the press, if you get the ball back early in the press. White is an intelligent guy, he’s following Arteta’s instructions to the tee and keeping possession at all costs by looking for the right throw to keep possession. It’s his job and he does it well, hence why you seldom see quick throws from other players when the ball is kicked out, unless there’s an attacking opportunity. The style we play is to get the ball back quickly when we lose possessio, as by using a quick short burst of energy to regain possession means the opposition have less possession overall and expend their energy reserve quicker, by constantly chasing the ball. White taking those extra seconds to take the throw and regain possession, actually equates to us conserving energy overall, held in reserve to be used for attacking.
Ken above is right, the games is all about money from TV rights now and nothing else, for us fans zilch. The clock should be stopped after the alloted time given for an incident and restarted when the ball comes into play. If you can have self driving cars, I’m sure you can get a computer with cameras to start a timer when the ref blows the whistle and thus a full 90 minutes is played. Yes, games will take longer but that’s with the current rules, hence why the continued evolution of the “laws” is required. For example, as soon as the ref has finished his application of shaving foam (the sensitive skin type Raheem Sterling pushes) on the opposition’s toes, a timer starts and then the kick must be taken, if it’s not taken in a certain time a warning is sounded and the opposition from the wall can rush the ball, as the game has restarted. You could actually do the same on throw ins, timed to get the ball back in play or a warning is sounded in the stadium and the opposition gets the throw instead. For now though, these backwards organisations will continue to blockade change as modernisation means transparency and transparency means less money, in the brown envelopes. So we the fans will continue to be short-changed on the full game and the timings of games will continue to be dictated by those with the deepest pockets.
Well said 👍
Excellent and mature minded post. So grateful to you Andy!
White is all round flop. Apart from the fact that Saka is tired, he is the reason for his dip in form. He is our weakest link. An over hyped player of the highest degree.
Spot on Henson Gunner, we will win bugger all with him in the back four the most Over rated player at the club the quicker he’s
Replaced the better.