The Avenging DisCo Godfather: The 2017 MLS Discipline Committee Thread

They did already.

It's pretty freaking simple.

If an act of diving or simulation results in a player being sent off or a pk you will get a suspension.

You might just get fined for other dives/ simulation.

 

If you're talking about creating a rule of the game similar to DOGSO, I think you could codify it similar to how DOGSO is written? So if DOGSO is:

You could write the rule as:

If you're talking about DisCo, see what Asoc said. If a player dives in an attempt to get a player sent off or to draw a PK, that player gets a suspension. Otherwise they get a fine.

 

I think you have Chara's dive confused with Guzman's alleged dive. The DisCo could not agree that Guzman was diving, therefore he did not get any punishment.

 

No.

The first yellow was for dissent. That's all on the player being a jackass and dissenting.

The second yellow had an explanation behind it that was strong enough where it wasn't unanimous to the Disco that it was a dive vs avoiding a late and reckless challenge.

Now you can reasonably disagree with the refs decision on that. Because they couldn't come to a unanimous decision they couldn't suspend or fine Guzman for that play. But it was reviewed based on the criteria I mentioned.

It's a very simple set of circumstances. But it still needs to be unanimous by the Disco.

Now, if the Galaxy player wasn't a jackass and earn the dissent card to begin with...

 

The problem with the first yellow was Toledo was going to his pocket before Van Damme turned around and reacted. Toledo realized he'd been duped by Chara and gave the card for dissent.

The problem I have with Van Damme getting a yellow for dissent is refs will hear much worse and people won't be punished, there will be no consitency going forward.

I don't know how the DisCo couldn't discern that Guzman's was a dive. He clearly locks his trailing foot up looking for contact and when no contact is made he hits the floor. There's going to be a lot of debate throughout the remainder of the year if the DisCo can't decide if that's diving or not.

 

They either stand against cheating or they're okay with it. Instead they want it both ways depending on whatever flavor of bias they feel like giving in to in any given week. They make the MLS look bad.

 

I may need to repost this on every page....

 

Because the committee was not unanimous that it was a dive.

 

So he's a jackass because he reacted to a guy trying to cheat and the ref fell for it. I think the DisCo has to reconsider possibly rescinding yellow cards for demonstrative dissent when the play is clearly a dive.

 

If a player gets a headbutt but the ref doesn't see it and the player is outraged he should be carded under every circumstance because dissent is dissent. If a player clearly dives but ref doesn't see it and a player puts his hands on his head and says I didn't touch him. Of course its dissent if its a foul and not if its a dive. Its a natural reaction.
MLS has to be careful that any reaction to a terrible call is now dissent. I hope the disco doesn't lose our ability to be objective in the face of cheating.

 

MLS is cracking down on dissent of any type to the referee. There is simply no way that MLS can crack down on dissent while allowing players to react negatively to "bad calls" because in most player's opinion, every call/non-call against them is a bad.

 

I generally agree. But if the DisCo are reviewing dives and impactful calls. I think a player who grabs his head and says I didn't touch him doesn't rise to the level of dissent when a dive such as Chara is the reason. Of course if he went ape shit or is verbally abusive it easily stays a yellow. I think Van Damme's reaction was border line yellow if it was a foul and easily appropriate when its such an obvious dive with no contact.

 

Very reasonable viewpoint. Mentioning the pendulum principle does acknowledge that we are swinging past balance and fairness in doling out calls and DisCo rulings in regards to diving and ref abuse. With that said I agree with your disdain for ref abuse as I also have that same disdain with diving cheats and the resulting unfairness in thinking any reaction to those cheats rises to the level of dissenting yellows.

 

This model is doomed to failure from the git go. If the committee's mandate was to deliberate until a unanimous verdit was reached, then it could. But if it's a one person, one vote model, it can't work if they need unanimous.

 

The thing that irritates me the most about dissent - and frightens me a little, frankly - is when a team gets so irate that they surround the referee and get in his face so loudly and with so many numbers that he feels a need to retreat. You see refs walking around or backing up, trying to avoid the mob. They are trying to gesture to everyone to back up or settle down or go away but they still have to basically run away to avoid physical confrontation.

The ref's hands are basically tied in that scenario. What does he do, dish out a yellow to every single player confronting him? That might be half the team or more. Does he stand his ground and take the abuse until the players get tired? Does he wait until physical contact actually does occur, dish out a red, and then completely lose control of the match? Does he abandon the match?

I hate it, utterly and completely. In baseball, you get that mad at the ump, and you're gone. Almost immediately. The biggest problem in soccer is that when a player is ejected, you can't replace him, AND he's suspended for the next game. Refs know how incredibly harsh that punishment is, and so they are actually loath to hand out red cards. It makes it HARDER for refs to control the game and the individual players, knowing how draconian a red card can be.

I don't know the answer without major changes but I really, really hate the mass dissent.

 

It may come to the point where players have to get red carded and they get the message that you will treat refs with respect, or else you are ejected. You do this often enough, players AND the coaches learn that you just can't get away with this crap anymore.

 

I agree, but unfortunately it's much easier said than implemented. First of all, it can't be a lone wolf referee making that move, it has to be everyone consistently. Second, it's almost impossible to actually do. In real life, the ref might red card one player for severe dissent. What do you think happens? The rest of the team backs off? No, the dissent probably gets worse, let alone what you hear from the coach on the sideline. You can't just red card everyone around you, might as well abandon the match at that point.

Honestly, I don't see the problem ever going away without top-down changes from FIFA. Either a "sin bin" like the hockey penalty box, or different types of red cards (orange card?). Maybe you can replace a player when they get sent off for dissent and DOGSO but not for violent conduct and spitting. Maybe the extra one game suspension is only for straight reds and not for two yellows. I don't know, but for now it's a blight on the game.

 

MLS is trying to address this. They started fining the clubs when there was a mass confrontation. I think last year was mostly just warnings, but their thought process seems to be that it isn't something that they can address at a per player basis, but if they punish the team as a whole, then the coaches will start telling players in meetings to not approach the referee in numbers.

 

"Cards issued in MLS games may not be appealed, except in a case of mistaken identity."
- MLS DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE PRINCIPLES AND PARAMETERS Section 5.
In the Football League they can as long as the referee in question agrees to a review.