CrazyHorse wrote:This is what p£%**s me off about putting laws into the game when it is never a black or white decision. This "law" was brought in to prevent defenders sything an attacker down when he's clean through on goal (and generally outside the box) and accepting the free-kick and yellow card... over the years since it was introduced it has become "last man" - well 90% of the time if the keeper fouls the attacker he's the last man and should be sent off - its a nonsence the defensive player or keeper has a right to try and win the ball, if he fails then it's rightly a penalty but to send him off makes a mockery of the game!
I didn't say I agreed or Disagreed with the Law(s).
It's there, so there's not much we can do about it.
Now My Opinion:
1. If the defender makes a genuine attempt to play the ball and takes the attacker down then a penalty is sufficient.
2. If the defender deliberately fouls the man, Penalty and Yellow Card.
3. If the defender deliberately fouls the man in a dangerous or wreckless manner, Penalty and Red Card.
Now the 3 above can cause controversy as its then down to the opinion of the officials. As I see it the governing bodies got together and tried to eliminate these problems and came up with the Law that now stands:
Sending-Off Offence
A player is sent off and shown the red card if he:
5. denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick.
So quite clear, if you take a man down who is as descibed above its a straight Red no discussion whether he made a genuine attempt to get the ball or just chopped the man down. If in the opinion of the ref its a foul then Red.
Just as an aside CrazyHorse have you got a copy of the latest handbook (not the one on the internet)?
As regards to Black and White: with regards to the colour of the card IMO its more than clear in the book, diagrams are given showing examples and what decision the ref should make.