Article 11.4.1

Martin to Stefan
10:44 (3½ hours ago)

So I'm looking for this so called "Article 11.4.1" which says a defender can still play an attacker onside when he's off the pitch.

Can't find it of course. However, the photo on page 78 showing how much shirt has to be removed before a yellow card offence is committed was some consolation.

Can you shed any light on any of these areas?


Stefan to Martin
10:44 (42 minutes ago)

Some of the phrasing in the Rules of the Game is wonderful, for example:
"Removing a jersey after a goal has been scored is unnecessary"

I like the implication that there are some people labouring under the misapprehension that it *is* necessary.

More generally, what the fuck is going on with this article 11.4.1 business??

I too have tried to search for it and for the "refereeing code" and the only references to either are from the last 24 hours and refer to this particular incident.

Is it
a) top secret
or
b) a massive made-up lie?

I. Don't. Understand.

Martin to Stefan
14:10 (10 minutes ago)

I mean - Article 11.4.1 sounds plausible enough. Law 11 is the offside rule after all. Maybe it's from an internal document circulated by FIFA? Not that I can find it of course.

I like the unintended consequence of this law - could we see an attacker lining himself up with a player being stretchered off along the touchline, for example?

PS The Dutch have peaked way too early.

The second most predictable pre-major tournament football story

Petr Cech is concerned about the ball being used at EM2008 (as I insist on calling it)

Not unlike Kasey Keller in 2006.

Or Gianluigi Buffon in 2004.

Or Zlatko Zahovic in 2002.

The most predictable? The one about how it's going to be "Spain's Year".

Citation Needed!

From wikipedia:

Peacock has worked with the BBC, regularly appearing as a pundit on Football Focus, Score, Match of the Day 2, where his insightful comments and sharp dress sense has become a hit with viewers

He will be moving to Canada to become a priest after Euro 2008, though. That is true.

Bilic Update

His band "Rawbau" perform Croatia's Euro 2008 song:



PS You can also see him on Croatian "Who wants to be a millionaire?"

There's no better bacon

Round Up

1) David "fucking" Pleat gets it totally wrong on the recent Man U - Chelsea game. As Andy Gray pointed out, Chelsea's strength came from the indomitable midfield triangle of Mikel John Obi, holding that shit tight, and Essien/Ballack feeding off each other and making surging runs through the middle. Yes, The Drog is great but he had a poor game.

2) The Economist is doing a continuing series on how football explains economics. I love that shit.

3) I am still yet to see Carrick have a good game.

I fucking hate fucking Liverpool - Part Deux

So they get some soft refereeing decisions and scrape through. Doesn't stop them being boring to watch and extremely lucky...