When Rules Aren't Rules

Our great start to the indoor soccer season has slightly come undone recently due to no fault of our own. Firstly though, I want to share the photo of my elbow from this week and my ankle which is still healing from last week with you all. Hopefully you're not eating while reading this. I copped a really bad tackle today and went spiralling to the floor and scrapped my elbow and knocked my head in the process as well. Last week, a swinging boot caught me right on the ankle and left it all bruised and sore. It's getting better but still slightly bruised.

But I digress as usual, back to the main theme of rules. Two weeks ago, we had drawn a match with our opponents, but after some discussions with the referee and stadium management, we were told we would be awarded the win. Since the other team had initially fielded a player with the wrong colour top, under the rules, they should be deducted a goal. Initially the referee had said that he was only on for 2 minutes so it shouldn't matter. If small indiscretions are allowed, what if we only fielded an extra player for 2 minutes, would that be ok?

So we were awarded the win, which we found out today that we actually weren't. They had gone back on their decision from two weeks ago and decided on a draw. This incensed us even more, because three weeks ago, we had "lost" a match where the opposition were given a goal that clearly hadn't gone into the net. The stadium management guy had seen it personally and agreed that the referee had made a mistake. So we asked him why not just change the score, to which he replied that the referees decision was final. Hence we were awarded a draw rather than a win. So what the heck happened this time. Why wasn't the referees decision final this time. He had awarded us the win but then they reversed the decision.

In sport, if rules are not adhered to, why have them. I know this is a very low level of competition and it really doesn't bother me too much whether we win or not, but its the matter of principle and how you can sometimes bend the rules but not other times.

Some similar sporting situations have occurred this year on a much higher level where rules were adhered to thankfully. The infamous draw between Fremantle and St Kilda in Tasmania was one example. Fremantle had won when the siren sounded, but the umpire had not heard it and allowed play to keep going, and St Kilda scored a point to level the game. After protest, the Dockers were awarded the win. This result helped shaped the whole final 8 teams and things may have turned out a lot different had the result gone the other way. Also earlier this year, the English 4x400 metre women's relay had clearly won during the Commonwealth Games. However, because one of the English runners was standing in the wrong lane during the changeover, Australia was awarded the win. It was a minor indescretion, but rules are rules. I think Australia shouldn't have protested and let England win, but that's another story. The fact that there was an official protest, the rules had to be followed and the correct decision was made. If officials had decided to let the case slip by, what next? When do you abide by the rules and when do you not, who get's to make that moral judgement?