Shinpads and Shinguards Play An Important Role

In the modern era of soccer, with powerful professional athletes playing at terrifying speeds and commitment, it is amazing and alarming to see players wearing close-to-nothing protection. What does it take to get the proper message through to their 'tiny' minds?

Newcastle United's physical and boisterous midfielder Cheick Tiote plays with tiny teeny shinpads. Pic from EPA.

Reference

Are you Ferguson in disguise? Echoes of Everton bad boy as Coloccini sees red in 'friendly' match (Daily Mail)


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Penalize Players For Making Political, Religious, Personal Statements

The following incident occurred during the EPL match between Everton and Fulham on Saturday 27 April 2013. The match finished 1—0, with 4YCs.

Penalize players like Pienaar for making political, religious or personal statements. Pic courtesy Getty Images.

Everton's Steven Pienaar is a serial offender in getting his religious message across whenever he scores. He usually pulls his shirt up over his head, as he did again last weekend.

Although Referee Jon Moss failed to show Pienaar a mandatory YC, the competition organizers and FIFA are more to blame for lacking the conviction to enforce the LOTG.

The LOTG state:

    Players must not reveal undergarments showing slogans or advertising. The basic compulsory equipment must not have any political, religious or personal statements.
    A player removing his jersey or shirt to reveal slogans or advertising will be sanctioned by the competition organiser. The team of a player whose basic compulsory equipment has political, religious or personal slogans or statements will be sanctioned by the competition organiser or by FIFA.

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The following observation occurred during the UCL Round of 16 first-leg match between Celtic and Juventus on Tuesday 12 February 2013. The match finished 0—3; there were 6YCs.

Juventus player Martín Cáceres (black #4) and his pithy pathetic shinpads

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The match referee only saw fit to award a penalty to Atletico Mineiro ... and nothing else. Does anyone know whether Arsenal Sarandi player Diego Braghieri received any retrospective sanction for his two-footed lunge at Ronaldinho?

Political, Religious or Personal Statements

In addition to receiving a caution during the match for his goal celebration after he scored in the EPL match between Wolves and Sunderland on Sunday 4 December 2011, Sunderland's Kieran Richardson should be sanctioned post-match for his undershirt statement.

Players who intentionally flout the rules should be sanctioned by their clubs as well as by the competition organiser

The LOTG state:

Players must not reveal undergarments showing slogans or advertising. The basic compulsory equipment must not have any political, religious or personal statements.
A player removing his jersey or shirt to reveal slogans or advertising will be sanctioned by the competition organiser. The team of a player whose basic compulsory equipment has political, religious or personal slogans or statements will be sanctioned by the competition organiser or by FIFA.

Can we expect the FA and EPL to take action against Richardson, and also against Sunderland? Or will FIFA step in?

Furthermore, since players are employees, perhaps their clubs (i.e. their employers) should take responsibility for the behaviour of their players and fine them. This makes sense since players (employees) are, and are seen to be, representing their club (employer). Clubs would not be wrong to impose a fine on their employees. This will make their players think twice before deciding to break the rules and promoting their own self-interests before that of their clubs.

Shinguards Should Protect Properly

What is the primary purpose of the mandatory use of shinguards or shinpads for players?

An England player wearing a pithy and pathetic excuse for a pair of shinguards during the recent international friendly against Spain on 12 November 2011. England won 1—0.

Shinguards are used for protection. In the referees' opinion, shinguards should offer reasonable protection, but what is reasonable? At the moment, the material of shinguards appears to be the only factor in determining the value of what is or is not "reasonable". For instance, the use of cardboard as shinguards is considered unreasonable at one end of the hardness scale, just as the use of stainless steel shinguards is unreasonable at the other end. Reasonable shinguards are made of material that fall between these two extremes because they offer protective and shock-absorbing properties whilst being lightweight and comfortable.

But what about size? Should the size of shinguards relative to the length of a player's lower leg be used to consider whether shinguards offer reasonable protection? It is about time that shinguard size relative to a player's lower leg size should be a factor. By applying the Laws of Physics, and for shinguards of the same material, the larger the surface area it covers, the more protection it offers both in terms of the total area of protective coverage and in terms of the dissipation and distribution of the incoming force.*

Basically, the larger the size of shinguards relative to the length of a player's lower leg, the better the odds in favour of protection. Referees, players, coaches and spectators should be made aware of this.


*This same principle of mechanics explains why someone who steps on your foot will likely do serious damage if they wore shoes with high stiletto heels compared with shoes with low, flat and wide heels. Ouch!

Snood, You Lose

In the 2012 European Cup playoff 2nd leg match between Croatia and Turkey on Tuesday 15 November 2012, there were some interesting attire adorned by the ARs. The match finished 0—0, and Croatia qualified 3—0 for the 2012 European Championships.

Snood-wearing, flag-waving AR2

Croatia coach Slaven Bilić stands near a snood-wearing AR1

The 4th Official

Considering the IFAB banned the wearing of snoods (neck warmers) from the start of the 2011-2012 season, it is a surprise and an embarrassment to see ARs wearing snoods.

It is common sense that match officials usually follow Law 4_The Player's Equipment as much as they can in a consistent manner with players. Obviously, referees are allowed to wear timepieces, carry whistles, cards, coins, pens, pencils and writing pads plus they are not required to wear shinpads. However, if match officials wear undergarments, they are the same colour as the predominant colour of their shirt sleeves and/or shorts. Since players are banned from wearing jewellery and clothing with religious or political or controversial slogans, then it is common sense that match officials will not wear these items either. And with the new clause about snoods, match officials should be consistent and not wear snoods too.

But because the two ARs wore snoods, the team of Portuguese match officials did not give a good image of themselves. They were:

Referee
Pedro Proença (POR)
Assistant referees
Bertino Miranda (POR), Ricardo Santos (POR)
Fourth official
Manuel De Sousa (POR)