Scottish referees have reportedly been told to ignore the new IFAB rule on substitutions in some of the biggest fixtures this season.
The rule making authority changed a lot of the laws in the game over the summer, with new handball guidelines taking most of the publicity. However, they also aimed to cut out timewasting in matches by allowing substituted players to leave the action at any part of the pitch.
But the Scottish Sun report that the SFA have told referees not to apply the rule in the biggest of games – for fear of incident.
Celtic players have been targeted on numerous occasions over the past two or three years, with Scott Sinclair extremely unfortunate not to be struck by a glass bottle at Easter Road last season. There have also been numerous other incidents that have blighted the Scottish game and the authorities feel it’s a risk just not worth taking.
Referees told not to apply substitutions law in the biggest games
That means that Glasgow derby matches won’t see players walking around the entirety of the pitch, like Hatem Abd Elhamed did against St. Johnstone on Saturday. It’s also unlikely that the rule will be used in hostile clashes at Easter Road and Tynecastle.
It’s a sad state of affairs when a new rule brought into the sport to improve things can’t be used in this country. Scotland has a problem with off the field incidents that continue to dominate headlines at the weekends.
It’s a shame because there’s so much other good stuff happening. From a Celtic point of view, we’re having some of the best years in our entire history, but other teams around us are improving and it’s making for some big clashed on a fortnightly basis.
It’s just a shame that all of this other nonsense is going on in the background.
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