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Further to two of Marty's posts below:

1. As established by Marty himself, balls *aren't* getting lighter. Law 2 of FIFA's Laws of the Game stipulates (amongst other things) that the ball be:

"not more than 450 g (16 oz) in weight and not less than 410 g (14 oz) at the start of the match"

And this rule has been unchanged since 1937 ... when balls were made marginally heavier with an increase in the permissible weight from the original 1872 specification of 13-15oz.

2. Only TV pundit to get the van Nistelrooy offside-call right? Steffen Simon, much-loathed German TV commentator. Spotters badge to Uli Hesse-Lichtenberger. And of course *he* knew it too.

Pleat update

He is currently refering to the Czech Republic as the "Republic of Czechoslovakia".

Twat.

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".