‘It goes against everything you’re brought up to know about football’: Rio Ferdinand and Glenn Hoddle SLAM the ‘nonsense’ clause in ‘double jeopardy’ rule that saw David Luiz and Jan Bednarek controversially sent off
- David Luiz and Jan Bednarek were both sent off in controversial circumstances
- Arsenal and Southampton pair were dismissed for denying scoring opportunities
- Many felt ‘double jeopardy’ rule should have seen them only receive yellow cards
- But they were deemed not to have made clear attempt to play the ball so saw red
- Rio Ferdinand and Glenn Hoddle were left infuriated at the clause in the rule
Television pundits Glenn Hoddle and Rio Ferdinand were left fuming at the ‘nonsense’ double jeopardy rule that saw David Luiz and Jan Bednarek controversially sent off during a crazy night of Premier League action.
The Arsenal and Southampton pair both made minimal contact to deny goalscoring opportunities for their opponents but were sent their marching orders as they suffered 2-1 and 9-0 defeats against Wolves and Manchester United.
In both cases many felt the ‘double jeopardy’ rule, which prevents two punishments of the player being sent off and a penalty being given if it is an accidental challenge, should have come into effect.
David Luiz (left) and Jan Bednarek (right) were both sent off in controversial circumstances
Luiz was sent off for contact on Wolves striker Willian Jose to deny goalscoring opportunity
Bednarek was given marching orders for a similar offence on Man United’s Anthony Martial
But this was not the case as the pair were deemed not to have made a clear attempt to play the ball, so were dismissed to devastating consequences for their sides.
The official FA rules state: ‘Where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offending player is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball; in all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.) the offending player must be sent off.’
After the rules were explained in the aftermath of the games, Hoddle and Ferdinand were bemused as they pointed out the players would have stayed on the pitch if they had made more contact and fouled the player rather than get out of the way.
Many were left confused after the ‘double jeopardy’ rule did not come into place for either
‘The rule is nonsense. That rule is nonsense that if you bring him down and clash him and say I was trying to play the ball I’m only going to get a yellow card’, Hoddle told BT Sport.
‘But we’ve seen two players tonight try and get out of the way and completely not foul him and there’s contact of some sort or the referee says there is contact you get a red card. That can’t be right.’
Ferdinand added: ‘It goes against everything you’re brought up to know about football. It’s a crazy rule, crazy rule.
‘The reaction on social media tells you everything you need to know about it. There’s absolute disbelief everywhere.
Rio Ferdinand (left) and Glenn Hoddle (right) slammed the rule exception as ‘nonsense’
‘Mike Dean has given 109 red cards in his career, the most red cards out of any referee, so he doesn’t mind getting his red card out.
‘You’re going to have to be taught now and rebooted as an individual that you must really go in and try to win the ball rather than try to get out the way. It’s crazy.’
To add another layer to the controversy, many felt there was not even contact between Bednarek and Anthony Martial, and the decision should have been given the other way with the Frenchman cautioned for simulation.
After Mike Dean gave a red after VAR review, many thought it was not even a foul on Martial
The Saints defender was even caught on camera after the came saying ‘Martial said it’s not a foul!’
Hoddle added: ‘If he’d have booked Martial there I don’t think any of us would be saying it’s a dreadful decision.
‘But it’s the rule. I don’t understand the rule. That cant be right, where you try to stay on your feet and not make the tackle and you do miss the ball then try and take the player down, you only get a yellow?’
