FERDINAND ESCAPES THIS TIME

Last updated : 12 November 2003 By Editor
From the Guardian:

Players, such as Rio Ferdinand, who are awaiting a disciplinary hearing will be suspended from next season until their cases have been resolved under new rules to be introduced by the FA.

All footballers who are sent off will be immediately banned for the following game while any facing a disciplinary hearing will be suspended until it has been resolved.

Players will only be allowed to appeal against red cards on the grounds of mistaken identity or other "obvious cases" which so far have not been stipulated by Fifa, the world governing body.

The FA has bowed to pressure from Fifa by appointing Brendon Batson, the former West Bromwich Albion fullback and deputy head of the PFA, to oversee a review of its disciplinary procedures following concerns aired by Fifa's president, Sepp Blatter, that its rules were being ignored in England.

Batson will report on his review by the end of the season but he is unlikely to oppose the changes as the FA must comply with Fifa's demands.

Fifa is angry that the FA has not fallen into line with its disciplinary procedures after it warned all 204 national associations to do so in a circular earlier this year.

The new rules were agreed at Fifa's congress in Doha in the summer and they are already followed by the Scottish FA and most other football associations.

Blatter has said that he would be contacting the FA chief executive Mark Palios to make his feelings clear, and that unless changes were made, he would inform the organisation's disciplinary committee.

"Any red card, given for whatever reason, then the player must be suspended for the next match in the same competition, and any appeal must be held before that match," Blatter said.

Fifa is also considering a proposal that any player requiring treatment should have to leave the pitch for a minimum of two minutes in an attempt to cut down on players feigning injury [a point suggested in RI recently].

The proposal has been put forward by the former Polish international Zbigniew Boniek, who is a member of Fifa's football committee. Blatter said:

"Mr Boniek has proposed that if a player is injured - or not injured and asking for help - he has to wait at least two minutes before he can re-enter the field of play. Most of the time these injuries are not really injuries and as soon as they get to the touchline - the magic line I call it - he is well again.

"It's not good for football, it's cheating. They just lie down when they are tired or perhaps if the team is not doing well and to give the coach some time to give some instructions.”