The football at Euro 2024 may not have been all that memorable, but one of the tournament's standout features was the lack of unnecessary drama on the field. For Euro 24, UEFA experimented with a rule that has been successfully implemented in several other sports over the years: Only the designated team captains were allowed to discuss decisions with the referee.
It took a while for us all to wake up to it. There were a few yellow cards early on in the tournament, but the players soon realised that they could no longer complain to the referee about decisions that didn't go their way. The overall result was faster restarts, an end to abuse at referees and an overall improvement in the atmosphere of the game. The England vs Spain final was the culmination of these new measures, played with a sporting spirit rarely seen since the 1960s.
The experiment was so successful that the German Football Association (DFB) announced that the rule would be introduced at all levels of football with immediate effect, following a UEFA mandate to allow the “captain rule” in all club competitions this season (Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League).
There were some critical reactions to the decision. Some on social media complained that “yellow cards will rain”. If that's what it takes, so be it. There will undoubtedly be more sanctions in the early stages as players get used to more disciplined behaviour. But as many teams proved at Euro 24, it doesn't take long to adapt to new instructions and it is absolutely possible to play football without shouting and gesturing in front of the referee.
Editorials in prestigious daily newspapers Süddeutsche ZeitungOn the one hand, lamented that the new rules would “undermine football culture and freedom.” This is a nonsensical view, and probably reflects the concerns of the media rather than those actually involved in the game: journalists are worried that there will be less “controversy” to cover. The high prices that broadcasters are paid to cover and promote the game have been part of the problem for the past 20 years. Reporters survive on “stories” (a word I have come to hate, when it comes to football), and when the fake drama of athletes throwing tantrums over throw-ins is removed from the broadcasters' repertoire, it becomes harder to sell the game to the type of fan who gets excited by watching grown men screaming and shoving each other in the chest.
This is a growing problem for football, as wages and prize money in the sport continue to soar and all sensible perspective on the importance of the sport is thrown out the window because “too much is at stake.” But when we talk about “too much,” we're not talking about the glory and prestige of a team chasing a title; we're talking purely about money. The knock-on effect means that the amateur game is suffering immensely. With many of these participants – unqualified coaches, ambitious players with RONALDO printed on their replica shirts, parents projecting their ambitions onto minors – imitating the desperately dancing role models who are picked out 30 times a game by the TV cameras, it's mainly the part-time, underpaid referees who get the blame.
As an umpire, one word I hear time and again as a justification for out-of-control behavior is “emotions!” There is nothing wrong with positive emotions in sport. Individual and team joy for progress, success or simply participation are important elements in any sport. But negative emotions have no place in the game. We are playing. Remember.
“England are two games away from changing our lives!” declared an excited British ITV commentator. Sam Matterface With their country just getting started on their semi-final against the Netherlands last week, such irrelevant nonsense serves no one. Sporting results are essentially meaningless and don't effect any significant change in the world. But the game itself, and the way it's conducted, plays an important social role at every level, whether we're kicking the ball around together on the rutted grass of a city park, or cheering on our team with hundreds or even thousands in a stadium or in front of a big screen.
Sport is a gift that everyone can enjoy. Last year I stopped refereeing men's matches in Germany because the stress associated with refereeing was affecting not only my enjoyment of the job but also my mental health. After this ruling I will give it another go. I hope that in five years' time the global football community will look back and wonder why it took so long to introduce rules that will go a long way to eradicate shameful behaviour whilst fostering respect, courtesy and sporting values.
