halfcenturyup
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 12 Oct 2009
- Messages
- 12,103
Is it possible to have laws of the game that aren’t loose or ambiguous in a contact sport like football though?
Could you word a law that covers exactly what a foul is, that covers every possible incident you’d like to be penalised, excludes every possible incident you’d like to not be penalised, and not be the slightest bit ambiguous?
If everything is so subjective, and it is, the wording of the law should be suitably vague.
You can't try to describe every incident that causes offside, for example, and then forget the purpose of the law, which is the offside player getting advantage, and say "letter of the law". You can describe certain situations that can clarify subjective areas, but the overriding factor should be "gaining an advantage". There can be no letter of the law for subjective decisions. It doesn't make any sense.
Same for handball. Who cares if the ball brushes your hand before you score, or any of the other 25 situations it describes (over-exaggeration intended)? Was it deliberate or not is the issue.