Fair Play: Scheme To Award ‘Green Cards’ For Sporting Behaviour To Be Trialled In Italy’s Serie B This Weekend

Chris Wright

4th, September 2015

5 Comments

red-card-green

In a desperate bid to stem the relentless tide of diving, feigning, conniving, etc that permeates football these days, Italian authorities are planning to roll out a new ‘green card’ scheme in Serie B.

However, unlike the red and yellow cards already at a referee’s disposal, the green variant will not be used as a punishment but rather to award players for displaying moral fibre and good sporting conduct and the like.

According to La Stampa, the green cards will be trialled in Serie B this coming weekend and is to be brandished to players for “acts of virtue” – such as kicking the ball out of play when a player is down injured or admitting that you have benefited from an inaccurate decision.

Bizarrely, players can still be shown a green card for diving, but only if they own up to it afterwards. Whether they then also receive a yellow card for simulation is unknown.

Players will receive no on-the-pitch advantage after being shown a green card, but their names will be noted and a list of “most correct” players will be compiled at the end of the season – with their teams receiving special acknowledgement from the league authorities thereafter.

According to Italian officials, the scheme – which has already been piloted at youth level – is designed to “highlight those who help to make the game a game and not a battle by primal instincts.”

Hear hear. We’re all in favour if it means bringing this kind of nonsense to an end…

Despicable. Utterly despicable.

Posted in Newsnow

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5 Comments

  1. platinitwatini says:

    Or you know, we could just enfore the existing rules?! Perhaps the officials could stop looking the other way when a player decides to “simulate” a foul (or as it should be called by its rightful name FUCKING CHEATING) – maybe even dish out something more significant than a meaningless yellow card, like a 6 game ban?! Or mic the refs up so when they’re surrounded by aggressive players pushing and shoving and swearing they actually are obligated to take action – like rugby. Yet another “genius” idea that will revolutionize the game I’m sure…

    “oi ref! OI REF! yeah you! where’s my green card you fat cunt – didn’t you see me shake that puta’s hand AND help him stand up after I elbowed him in the face? Gimme a green card you prick – I’ve a ten grand bonus on it, you fucking tosser!”

  2. Murray says:

    Useless.

  3. Jeremia says:

    Rewarding behaviour that should be natural is a terrible idea. I’ve a better one- let’s pretend football is a sport and footballers are adult sportsmen- and simply hand life-long bans left and right. That’s what the Olympic Comitee did in times which are now known as their Golden Era.

  4. Roddy Mess says:

    Tripe

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