A new rule brought in for this season is reportedly been ignored by Premier League clubs – with the authorities turning a blind eye.
A raft of new guidelines have been introduced in a bid to address issues like timewasting and poor behaviours from players and coaches towards officials. One of the lesser-known new rules requires managers to be present at pre-match briefings with referees.
However, according to the Daily Mail, this mandate has already been routinely ignored in the early weeks of the season, with many managers still sending their assistant or another coach to liaise with officials before games. It is unknown which bosses are skipping the meetings. The report adds that the Premier League, while aware of the situation, has so far turned a blind eye.
Furthermore, coordinators in charge of ball boys and girls do not get away with not talking to the referee ahead of games. They have reportedly been told in no uncertain terms that antics like throwing the ball away when the away side has a set-piece will not be tolerated.
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It was hoped that the pre-match meetings between managers and referees would help improve relations and therefore respect between the parties, leading to better behaviour on the touchline, where just one coach from each side is now allowed to stand in the technical area.
Speaking at the start of the season, referees’ chief Howard Webb said: “For too long our officials have not necessarily been able to make that differentiation [between passion and unacceptable behaviour] or have chosen for whatever reason to turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to certain things.
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“But the power of example is so strong and we are seeing a lot of examples [of bad behaviour] and all the numbers are tracking in the wrong direction around what’s happening in the game in this area.
“We’re seeing grassroots officials have a bad experience too often and this has got to change in our sport and we’re determined collectively within the game to do this.”
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