When football rules cease to make sense

Joseph Nkani, Guest Writer

WHEN football rules cease to make sense, those entrusted with administering the game begin to make cents.

When football rules cease to make sense those holding custody of the game are expected to show traces of logic, if not full blown sense, more than the cents the game pays them.

When football lovers see football rules not making sense they begin to question certain fundamentals around the beautiful game.

A few days ago, we had a classic case study of a Chibuku Super Cup match between Simba Bhora and Highlanders in Shamva.
Traditionally, football rules suggest that an aggrieved team cannot challenge the decision of a referee and the only reprieve they have is to “play under protest”.

Playing under protest is a concept where an aggrieved team is expected to diplomatically register their complaint and continue playing with a bleeding heart and not to openly protest or plead their innocence.

For me, this concept seeks to protect the game NOT THE AGGRIEVED TEAM because the game will be played to its final minute. However, football history has shown us that “playing under protest” does not address the complaint at the time but simply serves as a delayed opportunity to offer an apology to the aggrieved team.

Simba Bhora were awarded a dubious penalty – NOT EVEN A PENALTY – by referee Cecil Gwezera. The particular incident had two dimensions to it:
a) The contact did not even warrant a normal football free-kick.
b) The location of the contentious tackle was outside the Highlanders penalty box.

As is normal in a game of football, Highlanders players pleaded their innocence more so against the second dimension above, the penalty award to Simba Bhora. Perhaps a free-kick decision outside the box would have saved the day for the disgraced match referee of the day. Perhaps Highlanders would have registered a toned down complaint.

In the process, Highlanders players did not take their position to defend the penalty kick as awarded.
It is worth noting that Highlanders did not walk off the field of play. They simply did not defend the penalty kick, but maintained their presence on the green turf within the confines of the touchline.

From the visuals I saw, they did not walk off the field of play.
Simply put, Bosso didn’t take the normal position of defending a penalty kick. It’s like they said “ok, go ahead and score into an empty net”.

Technically, Simba Bhora could have taken the penalty kick with no Bosso player defending it and the goal would have stood.
One would question who caused the abandonment of the game? IT’S NOT HIGHLANDERS, NO! IT’S THE REFEREE.
It is one thing trying to dispute a legitimate penalty against you, taking your chances, yet it’s another case pleading your innocence against a lie.

A lie, which the football fraternity tells you “the rules say continue playing under protest” we will look into your complaint at our convenient time.
Highlanders’ cry is that it wasn’t a legitimate penalty for starters.

Yet the football world want Highlanders to keep quiet and suffer the consequence of a wrong decision by a referee. Why? Because football rules have ceased to make sense.
The fact that the referee in question and his assistant have since been suspended vindicates Highlanders.

Ask yourself: Why punish the rapist and the rape victim in the same case?
For me, suspending the match officials has actually settled the matter. Highlanders have no case to answer.
If that was a legit penalty, then today we would be nailing Bosso to the cross and making sure they are disciplined appropriately for disrupting the game.

As such, the disputed match should now continue from the disputed 79th minute and the two teams called back to the field to conclusively decide the game.
This, of course, gives possibilities for additional stoppage minutes, extra-time since that was a cup game and possible cup game penalty kicks. This arrangement will, of course, be funded by the league.

The league as tournament organisers/managers will and should meet the costs of finishing the game ON THE FIELD OF PLAY, not in the boardroom, because football rules have ceased to make sense.

The problem now is that people are placing the spotlight on Bosso for expressing their legitimate grievance in that manner while not focusing on the causes and the big picture.
Are people seeing the flawed rules? Are people not seeing the corruption in the game? Are people not seeing the rot in the system?

If you look at it closely right now, we are talking about it as a matter of concern. Had Bosso not done what they did, the real issues would have escaped everyone’s attention and today we would be saying our football is normal, yet it is not. Everyone now thinks Bosso are bad boys in local football, but none or few people are questioning the football system nor the local football environment.

Highlanders actually liberated the game and drew people’s attention to some key fundamentals, which have to be addressed. Football rules have ceased to make sense.
Football rules are now being manipulated to make cents. Highlanders can’t be made to suffer twice – on the pitch and in the boardroom.

The good thing about football is that what happens to Team A today will happen to Team B tomorrow. Somehow, football equalises.
Those who are crucifying Highlanders, please don’t complain tomorrow when it’s your favourite team in Bosso’s shoes.

Football stakeholders, here is your opportunity to make sense out of the football rules.
Rules are made for justice and fairness. If they cease to deliver that end product, then we need to amend the rules or apply logic.

*Joseph Nkani writes in his personal capacity. He is a football analyst and marketer