SOME many years ago, I had the pleasure of receiving an award from the hands of Sir Stanley Rous CBE, President of FIFA.

A former international referee, he was a reformer himself, re-writing many of the Laws of football.

However, as FIFA President, when the International FA Board changed laws every year, he suggested that it ‘took a break’.

I do wonder what he would say now?

Last season we had 57 changes and clarifications, this year I counted 40 more.

There is some evidence that all the changes, modifications, trials and experiments are beginning to bamboozle referees.

The Luton goalkeeper had to remind a referee, who was going to send him off for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, that it should only be a yellow card, as he had tried to play the ball.

The Westbury United against Christchurch FA Vase match had to be replayed this season because the referee had not realised that a fourth substitute in extra time was not being trialled in that competition.

Penalty kicks have had to be retaken, here and abroad, when the ABBA sequence for kicks from the penalty mark, have been used in competitions which are not included in the experiment.

Waiting to referee at Oxford City ground, I watched a referee ‘sin-bin’ a player for pushing an opponent heavily in the chest several times, obviously not aware, that where in use, ‘temporary dismissals’ can only be used for dissent.

Quizzes on Laws of the Game in refereeing magazines are giving out of date answers.

Now, even the FA has fallen foul of these multiple changes.

As a referee tutor, I received a copy of the new journal which trainee referees have to complete before attending the course to show they have read the Laws of the Game.

Unfortunately, it includes clauses that were removed in 2016.

When I reported this to the FA they said any mistakes will be corrected, but it begs the question, are there too many changes, too quickly?

I could hazard a guess what Sir Stanley might have said.