But any initiative that leaves untouched the disciplinary regime at the root of the problem seems bound to fail. The crisis of refereeing authority is one of FIFA's own making. FIFA was initially concerned with eradicating the tackle from behind. But throughout the 1990s FIFA issued disciplinary edicts like banknotes in Weimar Germany. The more disciplinary powers that referees were given, the more their authority was undermined.
Referees now have very little discretion over how they maintain order on the field.
In the past a referee might have had a quiet word with an offending player and taken the heat out of the situation. A yellow or red card would have been a last resort. If referees are obliged to treat footballers like naughty schoolchildren, it is little wonder that players no longer respect them.