Dissent creeping fast inside the game

In Malta various forms of dissent are creeping in and we must also be on the lookout to stop the sport from becoming a farce.

This starts in youth football and goes right up to the senior leagues. It is essential that young players, starting at the earliest age possible, are educated into accepting a referee's decision.

The problem has become so serious in England that in mid-April the FA will be calling a meeting of all youth clubs to ask them to instill more discipline in their players and for them to accept the authority of the referee.

We must remember that the referee has 22 players on the pitch and it is inconceivable of what would really happen if dissent is allowed to continue unchecked. Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if a teacher who has a similar number of students in a class loses complete control?

Contrary to what is generally thought, the captain of a football team has absolutely no special status or privileges under the Laws of the Game but he has a degree of responsibility for the behaviour of his team-mates. This means that his task is to help the referee by ensuring that his players follow the laws.

It has become far too common to see players waving their hands at referees for failing to award a free-kick they thought they should have had. The same can be said for those players who rush up to referees, either singly or enmasse, to vent their disagreement at some decision or other.

It must be made clear that a player can be guilty of dissent, among other things, even during half-time or at the end of the game. The referee has control of the players at all time.

Another sticking point which referees are trying to come to terms with is that of players who persistently infringe the Laws of the Game.

Referees are being asked by FIFA and UEFA to caution and eventually send off those who commit a number of offences. There is no need for the player to have committed similar offences but even if the offences he commits are different the sanctions should be the same.

There is no specific number of infringements which constitute 'persistence' or the presence of a pattern.

Here, the judgement of the referee comes into play. It is up to him to effectively manage the game and decide when to take appropriate action.

However, he/she must not leave it too late as persistent infringements can lead to retaliation or even worse to mass protests which eventually can lead to a free-for-all among players with the referee losing complete control.

As in everything in life there are the strict referees and those who are more lenient but it is the stricter ones who make progress in their career as they are able to keep the game on an even keel.

It is the latter referee who is respected by the players and crowd and not the one who allows players to rule.