Fifa’s head of referees Pierluigi Collina delivered a clear message to coaches before the World Cup: excessive holding and blocking in the penalty area would not be tolerated. To referees, the instruction was equally direct — be prepared to be strict.
The crackdown follows widespread concern at the top levels of refereeing that corner kicks had descended into a “fight scene” and were “not real football”. Towards the end of last season, wrestling at set pieces had become endemic, with players thrown to the floor and as many as 16 crammed into the six-yard box to crowd the goalkeeper. That level of skullduggery has not been seen at the World Cup.
The approach centres on zero tolerance for any off-the-ball movement designed to stop an opponent reaching the ball. Holding, Collina acknowledges, cannot be fully eradicated from a contact sport, but referees have been tasked with ensuring it does not occur to the same extent — and have already stopped corners to speak to grappling players. Around the goalkeeper, Collina appears to expect a clear exclusion zone in the six-yard box.
Two high-profile disallowed goals have illustrated the new standard in practice. Germany had a goal ruled out after Anton stood in a position that meant the goalkeeper would inevitably walk into him — described by Collina as a deliberate blocking tactic and the perfect example of what he had been drilling into his officials. Spain were also denied in similar fashion, with Pau Cubarsi penalised for a foul on Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
The intervention to disallow Germany’s goal may have appeared soft to those accustomed to watching Premier League football, but it signals a firm new benchmark. Whether that standard carries over into domestic football next season remains an open question.
Image credit: BBC Sport / BBC Sport
