Re: Matches on 8/29

[Blackburnbob]

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/federation/laws_of_the_game_0708_10565.pdf

If you can be bothered to read it JP there ya go!!!! lol

[j6pini]

Oh man, that's huge. The letter of the law doesn't specify this specific instance, but here's a very interesting passage that suggests Rooney should have been carded:

"A player using a deliberate trick to circumvent the Law while he is taking a free kick is cautioned for unsporting behaviour and shown the yellow card...in such circumstances, it is irrelevant whether the goalkeeper subsequently touches the ball with his hands or not (in the event of a backpass). The offence is committed by the player in attempting to circumvent both the letter and spirit of Law 12" (40).

You can click on BlackburnBob's link for the entire thing, page 40. What I gather from this is that the moment someone commits an act of unsporting behavior, the play is dead and that player is cautioned. Applied to the Rooney penalty: The moment Rooney dives, if the ref decides that yes he did dive, the play is dead, and whatever Almunia does after the dive is thus irrelevant. Since Rooney started to dive before Almunia touched him (if that's the way you see it), it would be a yellow card for Rooney.

[Andy]

Wow well done (Y).

I still think Rooney should join the British olympic diving team. Should have strong competition from Ronaldo of Portugal though . Eboue should not, that was a freaking awful dive.

[Brian]

Gerrard of England would be in with a shout as well.

[Blackburnbob]

haha some Liverpool haters on youtube then?? That last one looked ok to me against Marseille. Anyways point remains, rules or not players look for it, if the balls running away go for a penalty, looking at Rooner and that video and Eduardo, it bloody well works so why wouldn't they?

This again adds to the debate of sideline video etc

[Andy]

To be fair i'll be the first one to admit that Gerrard dives. And it does annoy the crap out of me.