1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast 2 00:00:10,573 --> 00:00:11,453 Speaker 1: from News Talks. 3 00:00:11,453 --> 00:00:15,213 Speaker 2: That'd be so the All Whites were playing Poland yesterday 4 00:00:15,333 --> 00:00:18,093 Speaker 2: in the build up for next year's Football World Cup. 5 00:00:18,173 --> 00:00:21,373 Speaker 2: I saw about half of the game, and although we 6 00:00:21,453 --> 00:00:25,453 Speaker 2: ultimately lost, my main takeaway was that we looked all right. 7 00:00:26,133 --> 00:00:29,133 Speaker 2: We looked all right. Maybe not quite ruthless enough in 8 00:00:29,133 --> 00:00:30,893 Speaker 2: front of goal, but we looked all right. You see, 9 00:00:31,373 --> 00:00:37,013 Speaker 2: All Whites teams of old would have faced potential humiliation 10 00:00:37,453 --> 00:00:40,293 Speaker 2: in a game against Poland, like you know, seven or 11 00:00:40,293 --> 00:00:43,693 Speaker 2: eight goals down, but not this team. So yep it was. 12 00:00:43,893 --> 00:00:46,413 Speaker 2: It was a defeat, but a one nil defeat. I 13 00:00:46,453 --> 00:00:49,853 Speaker 2: think we left where our heads held high. Anyway, for 14 00:00:49,893 --> 00:00:53,253 Speaker 2: whatever reason, I was also struck during the game by 15 00:00:53,253 --> 00:00:55,693 Speaker 2: one of the challenges that led to a yellow cart 16 00:00:56,173 --> 00:00:59,893 Speaker 2: and the way in which the players reacted. Now, to 17 00:00:59,973 --> 00:01:04,453 Speaker 2: be clear, there was nothing special about this tackle, right, 18 00:01:05,173 --> 00:01:08,213 Speaker 2: That wasn't a part unique moment or anything like that. 19 00:01:08,333 --> 00:01:12,413 Speaker 2: It was a heavy, clumsy challenge, but one which happens 20 00:01:12,453 --> 00:01:15,493 Speaker 2: in every top tier football game, and you know, probably 21 00:01:16,053 --> 00:01:20,653 Speaker 2: every Sunday League Gold Noldies Master's forty plus Social game 22 00:01:20,693 --> 00:01:24,213 Speaker 2: as well. So the tackle came in the ref blue 23 00:01:24,253 --> 00:01:28,773 Speaker 2: iss whistle, and in a moment, players from both teams 24 00:01:28,893 --> 00:01:33,213 Speaker 2: immediately crowded them out. And I just don't get it. 25 00:01:34,053 --> 00:01:40,533 Speaker 2: I don't understand why football, of all sports, lets players 26 00:01:40,933 --> 00:01:43,933 Speaker 2: rush the referee, getting right up in their face to 27 00:01:44,813 --> 00:01:49,893 Speaker 2: theatrically plead innocence, or insists that an opponent should be 28 00:01:49,973 --> 00:01:53,293 Speaker 2: more harshly sentenced. Sure, the rule state that players can 29 00:01:53,333 --> 00:01:57,573 Speaker 2: be penalized for descent, but it happens so rarely. It 30 00:01:57,653 --> 00:01:59,853 Speaker 2: is such a rare event that you see a football 31 00:01:59,893 --> 00:02:06,773 Speaker 2: referee actually penalize a player for pushing the line too far. Instead, 32 00:02:06,933 --> 00:02:09,893 Speaker 2: you see players rush the ref all the time in 33 00:02:09,933 --> 00:02:12,973 Speaker 2: top level games, and sometimes half a team will run it. 34 00:02:12,973 --> 00:02:14,933 Speaker 2: It can take minutes to restore order. 35 00:02:15,853 --> 00:02:16,453 Speaker 1: And I get it. 36 00:02:16,773 --> 00:02:20,373 Speaker 2: I get that sport is emotional, right, but it's a 37 00:02:20,493 --> 00:02:24,653 Speaker 2: curious exercise to compare what football will generally allow players 38 00:02:24,733 --> 00:02:28,893 Speaker 2: to do to referees with other more violent sports. So 39 00:02:29,013 --> 00:02:32,533 Speaker 2: in rugby, there is absolutely no way that referees would 40 00:02:32,573 --> 00:02:36,213 Speaker 2: stand for it. There is a very clear process. If 41 00:02:36,213 --> 00:02:38,813 Speaker 2: you've got a problem, your captain is welcome to bring 42 00:02:38,853 --> 00:02:41,253 Speaker 2: it up to the ref, but if any other players 43 00:02:41,533 --> 00:02:44,293 Speaker 2: push the line too much, they risk being penalized, and 44 00:02:44,373 --> 00:02:48,333 Speaker 2: most players get it pretty quickly. And American football, you 45 00:02:48,373 --> 00:02:52,053 Speaker 2: know NFL, it is even more extreme. If you give 46 00:02:52,173 --> 00:02:55,013 Speaker 2: much more than a yes, sir to one of the officials, 47 00:02:55,133 --> 00:03:00,933 Speaker 2: you'll be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, or in many cases, 48 00:03:00,973 --> 00:03:02,973 Speaker 2: you just be kicked out of the game. You'll be ejected. 49 00:03:03,013 --> 00:03:07,933 Speaker 2: That's it. And they have tried similar things in football. 50 00:03:07,973 --> 00:03:09,973 Speaker 2: They've had a couple of trials in recent years. They 51 00:03:10,013 --> 00:03:13,173 Speaker 2: looked at a blue card option in which referees could 52 00:03:13,213 --> 00:03:16,253 Speaker 2: sind in players for dessent, so if you got too lippy, 53 00:03:16,253 --> 00:03:18,733 Speaker 2: you'd be sent off for ten minutes. They looked at 54 00:03:18,813 --> 00:03:23,133 Speaker 2: rules where only captains could approach referees, but so far 55 00:03:23,333 --> 00:03:26,293 Speaker 2: it hasn't been adopted in the top leagues with the 56 00:03:26,333 --> 00:03:29,773 Speaker 2: most money, the most viewers, and the most influence. Apparently, 57 00:03:29,773 --> 00:03:32,133 Speaker 2: one of the concerns is that cracking down on player 58 00:03:32,173 --> 00:03:35,373 Speaker 2: treatment of referees will suppress some of the emotion in 59 00:03:35,413 --> 00:03:38,093 Speaker 2: the game, and of course emotion makes it fun to watch. 60 00:03:39,773 --> 00:03:44,493 Speaker 2: But I don't know, I don't know, I reckon by 61 00:03:44,573 --> 00:03:48,973 Speaker 2: being so loosey goosey and allowing ten or a dozen 62 00:03:49,093 --> 00:03:52,093 Speaker 2: players to all get up in the ref's face at once. 63 00:03:52,933 --> 00:03:58,213 Speaker 2: They've ended up incentivizing histrionic behavior, you know what I mean. 64 00:03:58,653 --> 00:04:01,413 Speaker 2: Think about it, right, if a player makes a heavy 65 00:04:01,413 --> 00:04:04,933 Speaker 2: tackle and knows that they are probably in the wrong, 66 00:04:05,893 --> 00:04:08,573 Speaker 2: they now I have to go up and scream and 67 00:04:08,693 --> 00:04:12,133 Speaker 2: yell and stamp their feet and make a massive scene 68 00:04:12,173 --> 00:04:16,013 Speaker 2: at their supposed cruel treatment because they know that the 69 00:04:16,093 --> 00:04:18,573 Speaker 2: other team will be making just as much of a 70 00:04:18,613 --> 00:04:20,853 Speaker 2: scene trying to get them punished. It's kind of like 71 00:04:20,853 --> 00:04:25,093 Speaker 2: an arms race, right. You have to match your opponent's outrage, 72 00:04:25,373 --> 00:04:28,653 Speaker 2: and that only incentivizes more and more and more drama. 73 00:04:29,013 --> 00:04:31,413 Speaker 2: It only incentivizes the whole team to rush over to 74 00:04:31,453 --> 00:04:36,973 Speaker 2: the referee. Football is, as far as team sports go, 75 00:04:37,253 --> 00:04:42,213 Speaker 2: near perfect in my view. It is such a wonderful sport. 76 00:04:42,293 --> 00:04:45,653 Speaker 2: It is beautifully simple. The barriers to entry are basically 77 00:04:45,733 --> 00:04:49,373 Speaker 2: non existent. The scope for creativity and flair is vast. 78 00:04:50,413 --> 00:04:54,093 Speaker 2: But if there is one way the beautiful game might 79 00:04:54,173 --> 00:04:57,893 Speaker 2: be improved just a little bit, I reckon it's the 80 00:04:57,893 --> 00:05:00,773 Speaker 2: way that players treat the referee. 81 00:05:00,853 --> 00:05:03,973 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live 82 00:05:04,053 --> 00:05:07,333 Speaker 1: to Newstalks B from nine am Saturday, or follow the 83 00:05:07,373 --> 00:05:08,853 Speaker 1: podcast on iHeartRadio.