Quote: I don't care what you do - arrgy - what does the rule say. Does the rule say they are required or is that is what is expected? Why would it be ok if the player only needed to take a few steps? Because that is OK with you?
Considering I, as the referee, am the one running the game..yes. As I said before there is a difference between a player who is 1-5 yards from the ball and one who is 7-9 yards from the ball. If I were to book every player who was in the 7-9 range, I would never get the game finished. Did you ever wonder why that mark off the field from the corner arcs were placed there? Because players and officials could not tell 10 yards from the arc.
There is something in the rule/law books that MOST people don't know about, its called trifiling. Referees are required to refrain from trifiling the game, meaning if a player is 7 yards from the ball, carding that player would serve no interest.
Experienced referees, and not inexperienced and clueless parents and coaches don't understand that cards are used for a purpose, and a referee has to ask themself what am I going to get for this card? If I were to card the player who is 7 yards away I will get nothing but grief and complaints for the rest of the match, and I would have accomplished nothing when all I could have done was tell the player to take 2 steps back.
Stop trying to micromanage a game, and allow the players to play and the referees to officiate.
