by Simon Wright

Created on: March 18, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

It is an oddity that a player can get a three match ban in football (soccer) for gently slapping an opponent and get an equal length of ban for a two footed lunge that breaks an opponent's leg. Indeed, this was more or less highlighted during 2008 by the cases of Jeremie Aliadiere and Martin Taylor.

Slightly built Middlesbrough player, Aliadiere slapped a Liverpool player gently on the face in reaction to aggravation from the Liverpool player. Most onlookers and experts reckoned that a yellow card and a telling off would have sufficed but the referee chose to send the player off. I don't have a huge problem with this if you're stupid enough to raise your hands to an opponent then you risk being sent off. However, what really was ludicrous was that Aliadiere was then given a three match ban and, when his club appealed the decision, the English FA increased the ban to four days.

Meanwhile, Birmingham defender Martin Taylor shattered Arsenal forward Eduardo's leg when he lunged for the ball, with studs showing, and caught the player rather than the ball. Now, I'm not saying that Taylor intended to injure Eduardo. In fact, I think he intended to get the ball. However, his challenge was dangerous and the sort of challenge that FIFA (the sport's governing body) have been trying to cut out. Eduardo will be out for a minimum of six months, whilst Taylor will be back after serving his three game ban.

Perhaps more alarming than Taylor's challenge, although less publicised, has been the increasing trend (in the English Premier league at any rate) for players to make two footed lunges. Such challenges can end careers and referees have rightly been instructed to issue red cards whenever they are perpetrated. They perhaps stem from the fact that the art of tackling has been disappearing from the game and there are less players who genuinely know how to tackle properly.

My view is that it's high time that national associations were given scope to impose sliding scale penalties of players who are sent off. For a petulant but non career threatening transgression (such as Aliadiere's) a one or two game ban would be sufficient. For others, the standard three game ban isn't enough and football should look at more lengthy forced absences for dangerous and/or malicious transgressions. To an extent, this scope is already there. I can remember the former Arsenal midfielder, Paul Davis, getting a lengthy ban for breaking an opponent's jaw. However, some form of consistency would be required and this requires rule changes to create guidelines for cases to be assessed against. Having transgressions (and the length of suspensions) being assessed by former professionals (who understand the game) would be another huge step in the right direction.

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