MillionMilesAway
Well-Known Member
Shirt tugging is an odd one. I think the laws were unchanged on that, but each ref association can offer guidelines if they want to clamp down on something. I think it's exactly a situation where they tried something and then it was deemed to be counter-productive and dropped.
It is possible that one or two teams had an extra match before or after the relaxation (due to cup matches, etc), but each individual match was run under rules and happened in isolation. I don't think that a change between playing e.g. West Ham before or after the relaxation is going to make a material difference, and I would expect the clubs to have had their say before it was relaxed.
The encroachment thing was suspended by FIFA exemption. My assumption is that any previously given yellows were annulled, or that it was done at the end of the group stage. That makes it pretty fair to all involved, and frankly if it keeps a goalie from wasting time, I'm in favour of it!
The handball change is different again, but with some similarities to the above. There clearly was a directive regarding handball in CL/EL matches, but it was between group and knock-out stages. Everyone in the KO stage had the same rules for all the games, and it was therefore fair. Spurs had the same rules as City.
It has been cited here many times, but from what I've seen Rossetti's comments were only directed at defensive handballs; Llorente's was not covered by that directive made, but has been covered by the rules from now on.
I've said this many times here in answer to the question and I'm yet to see anything which proves my opinion wrong (and if it can be proved wrong, then I'll have been wrong and will be happy to see proof).
It's a bit like the false equivalence of Swansea not having VAR in the FA Cup - it was the same for both teams on the day in a KO match, and is therefore fair. It could have been Swansea who benefitted.