THERE MAY BE DIFFERENT WAYS TO PLAY THE GAME, BUT NOT DIFFERENT WAYS TO REFEREE IT

by Joey Davies

@theonejoeyd

Another phrase I have heard over and over since United's Champions League exit is how a foul can be a yellow card in England yet a red on the continent. This nonsense has to stop. Rules are rules. The FIFA rulebook is not the Qu'ran, where people interpret its teachings in a different manner depending on which region they were born in or which branch of its religion they adhere to.

The law is the law in any country, and the officials should be using the exact same methods to arbitrate across the globe. Dermot Gallagher said he would not have sent Nani off for his challenge, whereas former World Cup final referee Pierluigi Collina backed Cuneyt Cakir's decision. The consistency is non-existent.

England seems to have a reputation for leniency when it comes to rough and tumble or aggressive tackling, but a middle ground needs to be instilled between the way the game is managed on British pitches and the grassy knolls of mainland Europe.

Why not go international and allow foreign referees to come and take charge of a few Premier League contests? Our own officials in return would be given the chance to gain some valuable experience abroad at the same time. That would allow FIFA to develop a philosophy of refereeing that all footballing nations and cultures could subscribe to.

If foreign players are allowed to come here and do what they're paid to do, why can't referees? FIFA's regulation that domestic leagues can only be officiated by people of its nationality is, in my opinion, a primary symptom of why there are different cultures of refereeing instead of one international philosophy.

The FIFA rulebook can be downloaded online- we just need the international refereeing community to interpret its teachings in the same, consistent fashion.


by Joey Davies
@theonejoeyd