Disciplinary Committee tracking thread

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by JasonMa, Mar 23, 2012.

  1. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In the offseason we heard about a plan for the Disciplinary Committee to crack down on tackles, even if they're given a yellow card, that are harsh and could injure. We're two weeks in and I've see Beckham, Larentowicz, Donovan, etc. making bad tackles that could easily injure and the Committee hasn't done a thing. For example:

    http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-03-18-la-v-dc/highlights?videoID=179487

    That could have easily been a broken ankle. Larentowicz's first tackle this past week could have been red but only got a yellow and it was a dangerous stupid tackle. He committed another yellow card tackle (but not as dangerous) later and got the red he deserved so maybe that's enough for the Committee.

    I said at the time of the announcement I wasn't holding my breath, but you would think if they were at all serious they would have found one of these tackles in the first couple of weeks to make a statement with, even if they didn't follow it up through the season. But the one thing consistent about the Disciplinary Committee is their inconsistency.
     
  2. bunge

    bunge BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 24, 2000
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Against Montreal, Gonzalo Segares was hacked to shit from behind after he made a pass. It should have been a straight red because it was from behind. He ended up getting taken out of the game because of it.

    I'd love for a play like that to get reviewed.
     
  3. Revolt

    Revolt Member+

    Jun 16, 1999
    Davis, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Totally agree w/ Bunge - the refs are going to miss calls. However, there needs to be a review mechanism to suspend players who commit these reckless fouls.
     
  4. Absolute

    Absolute BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 18, 2007
    Green Hell
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Agreed, we need MLS to be consistent on dangerous tackling. That Donovan tackle could have been real bad, hurt watching it.
     
  5. barroldinho

    barroldinho Member+

    Man Utd and LA Galaxy
    England
    Aug 13, 2007
    US/UK dual citizen in HB, CA
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    I'm all for it post-match reviews, as long as the league is conservative about it. The last thing we want is a backlog of retroactive punishments and suspensions, so if it's something the ref missed or was overly lenient on, the alleged perpetrator should get benefit of doubt where it's not 100% clear.

    On the same note, I'd like to see blatant dives given similar attention. Every team has players that do it to an extent and in the modern age, there's no reason this clear method of cheating should be tolerated.

    Whereas tackles can be genuinely mistimed, you don't "accidentally" collapse to the floor and roll around in agony, when you haven't been touched. The threat of suspension for anyone caught could eliminate this from the game.
     
  6. RapidStorm

    RapidStorm Member+

    Jan 30, 2005
    Denver, CO
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    I imagine the DC is going to continue to hide behind the idiotic "if it's given a yellow card or less in-game, we can't do anything about it, because we don't want to look like we're meddling" premise.

    I'd also imagine that, if it's still just a committee of 5 members, that they don't want to actually have to give away any of their time reserved for watching Baywatch re-runs to having to scour game footage. And they'll use the lack of manpower/man-hours as an excuse.

    Also, Jason, you could have added Castrillon's slide tackle in the Philly game to the list of tackles that could have broken ankles so far this year.
     
  7. asoc

    asoc Member+

    Sep 28, 2007
    Tacoma
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    If Stephen King did that to Donovan... totally different reactions. Donovan would have milked that for all its worth as well as sticking his arms up and bitching at the ref.

    Should have been a direct red.
     
  8. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Here's the statement Goff reported last month:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...otect-players/2012/02/17/gIQAPIYwJR_blog.html

    Here are the exact rules according to the MLS website:

    http://www.mlssoccer.com/mls-disciplinary-summary

    (All bold mine)

    So as we expected at the time of Goff's report it was a lot of talk. Despite saying that injuries were no longer the threshold it appears, according to the rules posted on the league website, non-injurious tackles will only get added punishment in very few instances. So this isn't any more of a crackdown than they've done in recent years.
     
  9. asoc

    asoc Member+

    Sep 28, 2007
    Tacoma
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    So basically they codified what they were already doing.
     
  10. Smithsoccer1721

    Smithsoccer1721 Member+

    Feb 16, 2007
    Middle of the Table
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Sounds like I am the only one who is a little leery about this committee review thing. If there is something off the ball or behind the play and the ref misses it then I am more ok with it. When it comes to the actual tackles and the ref gives see it by calling a foul or play on then I would rather see the league stay away. Educating the ref's and continually training them is a better long term solution than fines and suspensions from the league.
     
  11. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    I don't have a strong opinion either way. I just want the league and Committee to be consistent about whichever direction the announced they chose. The last year+ has been exactly the opposite of consistency.
     
  12. Mateofelipe

    Mateofelipe Member+

    Mar 10, 2001
    Spokane, WA
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Thank you for saying for not saying "weary" in place of "leery." Ninety nine percent of speakers of American English combine "leery" and "wary" into "weary," which means neither leery nor wary. This is a message in behalf of the Committee for Sensible English. Now back to our regularly scheduled thread...

    As to the poster's point, how many more broken limbs do we suffer before making these refs pay by being shown up for their laxity? Combined, how many games do Steve Zakuani and David Ferreira have this season?

    And, in addition to punishments to players, we need to start publicly publishing with video and stills the most under-enforced rule in the game - obstruction. You can't "shepherd the ball across the endline/touchline" for five f*ucking yards. That's called playing the man and not ball. To borrow from other sports, it's a moving screen. If you've never shown any interest in possessing the ball, having not even touched it, merely prevented an opponent from doing so - fory YARDS AND YARDS - that is obstruction.

    In other words, these guys need Mother Superior standing on their shoulders showing them up. And there would be no better example than that brilliant hero of American soccer who also happens to be an entitled loud mouth, Landon Donovan, and that consistent thug who has never learned, David Beckham - if the refs don't know to watch for him by now, they will never know.

    On the other hand, this is not the job of loud-mouthed players. Moves to make players shut up and move on are also good.
     
  13. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  14. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Moffat's tackle last night that he got a yellow for is another example of the type of tackle the DC said they would review.
     
  15. glyconerd

    glyconerd Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 8, 2007
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CD Chivas USA
    Nat'l Team:
    Uzbekistan
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    I'd really like the committee to look into Beckerman and Beckham because these two players are notorious for constantly berating the ref and slowing down the game!
     
  16. jvilla07

    jvilla07 Member

    Oct 30, 2006
    Houston + NOLA
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Players that flop like they've been shot should be discplined for simulation (i.e. Fernandez), thus constantly trying to draw non-existing fouls. The NBC replays and commentators supported his simulation very clearly and directly (so not implied).
     
  17. NFLPatriot

    NFLPatriot Member+

    Jun 25, 2002
    Foxboro, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    I'm with you. Fixing it after the fact lets the ref off the hook for making the incorrect call. This also could lead to less calls, as the refs, even subconsciously, will think, "Err on the side of caution (lenience), if I get it wrong, the committee will fix it."

    Changes like this often have unintended consequences.
     
  18. DrLudicrous

    DrLudicrous Member+

    Jun 28, 2002
    Houston
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    I would think that if the league is constantly having to correct a ref's mistakes then he won't be reffing much longer. Refs are already assessed after every game and I don't see why fixing their mistakes would change that.
     
  19. Gooner_for_Life

    Oct 26, 2005
    Portland, OR
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Because it takes the power of decision making away from them.

    This isnt your bourgie cubicle job where you can review all the material at hand and then make a decision. Talking points happen in an instant with no replay, a dozen players crawling up your ass (something that needs to be addressed), and 20k odd fans wanting blood. I would love to see you make a $30-40 million dollar decision for anothers company in less then 10 seconds with your boss, the other companies directors, your wife, any kids you may have, and your annoying mother in law all in the same room yelling and screaming at the same time in your face (using the EPL and relegation as an example money wise).

    Let refs continue to ref and evaluate them accordingly. Let the committee handle stuff not seen or addressed in a refs report and hand out stiffer penalties for particularly egregious offenses where a red card was produced.
     
  20. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    That's a good point, but neither before the statements about protecting the players nor after have the refs shown they have the balls to hold players accountable.

    Some of these tackles, I just don't know how the hell the refs aren't giving out straight reds, or at least yellows. Maybe every time the committee has to "fix" a blown call where someone could have been seriously hurt, the ref should be docked pay. That would help. Different ways to dock pay to. I don't mean going up to the ref and fining him for the blown call in that game. Instead, maybe something along the lines of since you didn't handle a situation correctly where a player could have been seriously hurt, you are going to take a week or two off from reffing, without pay to think about it.

    I'd personally rather see refs blowing their whistle more frequently early in games to help set the tone instead of letting hard tackles go, and if they have to even be over-cautious. Better then having potential DP's having their ankles and legs broken as we saw last year. Not enough talent in the league yet to not do a better job of protecting the better players from the thugs. At the same time can't have Becks or LD hacking the shit out of players and getting away with it.
     
  21. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Bingo. I don't see this particular "unintended consequence". I don't know if most fans are really aware of how rigorous referee assessments are. Two bad games and a referee is done for the season.

    If the league finds itself repeatedly cleaning up after a specific referee, that referee will find themselves off the MLS active list real quick.
     
  22. barroldinho

    barroldinho Member+

    Man Utd and LA Galaxy
    England
    Aug 13, 2007
    US/UK dual citizen in HB, CA
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    I think you guys underestimate how difficult it is to get these calls right. Often these "controversial" calls are only truly cleared up after slow motion replays from numerous angles. sometimes even then, it's not clear.

    If a player has been injured by a tackle, sure, review it. If something occurs off the ball, review that too. However, soccer is supposed to be a contact sport. IMO that's already been eroded to an excessive degree. I don't want players even more freaked out about making physical challenges. These reviews should be reserved for serious foul play or recklessness. We must also acknowledge that injuries are an occupational hazard for a professional footballer.

    I also don't mind the use of replays in-game for a red card decision, an borderline offside goal, a foul in the box or to check whether the ball crossed the line, but beyond that you run the risk of taking the tempo and flow out of the game.
     
  23. HailtotheKing

    HailtotheKing Member+

    San Antonio FC
    United States
    Dec 1, 2008
    TEXAS
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Looking over match reports from previous seasons leads me to believe this isn't entirely true.

    .... or, what exactly do you mean by done for the season ?
     
  24. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    Done referring games in MLS.

    What may appear to you or I as a bad game doesn't necessarily match what the assessor sees.
     
  25. HailtotheKing

    HailtotheKing Member+

    San Antonio FC
    United States
    Dec 1, 2008
    TEXAS
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: So, where's the Disciplinary Committee?

    That's that I thought ...

    In that case, I see where the bigger problem lies. I understand that the vast majority of us are simply "fans" ... then there's the subset of us that have a "better than average" understanding of things ... and then a smaller subset that truly can have valid comments on a matter like this.

    That said, it's painfully obvious that this assessment method falls under one of two categories ... 1- it freaking sucks 2- this is yet another example of where we lag behind the rest of the soccer world.
     

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