Bundesliga referee Patrick Ittrich would like to see a tighter set of rules in football based on the model of handball. Ittrich told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” that he hopes that referee decisions will be acknowledged less often with player protests. For example, if a handball player is treated on the field for a possible injury, he then has to leave the field – and if you don’t let the ball lie, you get a seven-meter penalty against your own team.
“In terms of football, that would mean: For a tactical foul in midfield, there is a free kick seventeen meters in front of your own goal. How often would there be such fouls? If someone rolls over three times and needs a doctor, I say: no problem, doctor is coming, you’re out for three minutes. What do you think, how fast he gets up! I would wish for that,” said the 43-year-old director from Hamburg.
In his opinion, the issue of pack formation and complaints could also be better dealt with through stricter rules. “You insulted me? You get a 10 minute cool down penalty. Go cycling, like football, so you won’t get cold. We can learn a lot from handball there, said Ittrich.
“How can it be that after a decision by ten men I’m hit on?”. The referees would call this behavior “bullying of the referee”. “As far as I’m concerned: bam. bam bam Three times red, or if one has yellow, yellow-red. Then play seven against eleven. That would be fine with me,” said the referee.
The referees will prepare together for the second half of the season in Lagos, Portugal, starting Wednesday. Ittrich is also expected at the training camp after a forced three-month break. He recently had to sit out with a metatarsal injury. “Basically, I’m in good spirits and on the right track. I’m going from the full load to the permanent load and hope that I can get back into the second half of the season,” the referee is quoted as saying on the DFB website. Ittrich has only managed three Bundesliga games this season.