I have been researching the new sock tape rule which is part of Law 4 of the Laws of the Game. These laws apply to all football so we should expect all referees to enforce this rule even though it is likely to cause problems on a Sunday morning. Already, in our first league match the kick off was delayed by 10 minutes by the referee explaining the new law.

The Law states 'If tape or similar material is applied externally it must be the same colour as that part of the stocking it is applied to'.

One suggestion has been made to use clear tape but that would not be 'the same colour' so some referees may not accept that.

If the wrong colour tape is used and the referee asks for it to be removed this may lead to a breach of the shinguards law which states that 'shinguards are covered entirely by the stockings' when the socks fall down exposing the shinguards.

If no tape of the correct colour is available and the referee asks the offending players to 'leave the field of play to correct his equipment' this could result in the game being abandoned, even before it has started.

Obviously, this will not happen in professional football but on a Sunday morning it could unless the referee is allowed to use common sense.

Fortunately, our socks are jade with a black and a white hoop. We can place black or white tape around the 'part of the stocking' which is the same colour. All players need be careful to apply the tape to the correctly coloured part of the sock from now on.

Hopefully, there are no teams with striped socks with different colours!

As long as players don't try impersonating John Terry by having their socks stretched upwards over their knees (ridiculous fashion faux pas in my book), then this won't happen...as the top of the sock would be folded down over the tape (just below the knee and covering the whole shinpad). If the tape is not visible on the sock, how can the Referee complain ?

I expect we will get Junior (John Beasley) on here soon posting a smiley of somebody yawning ?!

This tape law is total cobblers.

It's not one i've really had to think about too much!!!

The official word (from League Referees' Secretary Gary Bailey...just received by e-mail) is that it is up to individual Referees in our League to decide if they want to use it or not, and that it will more likely depend on whether they are being assessed or not.
He advises that all clubs buy some same colour sock tape just in case.

Laurence:

Maybe, just maybe, if a ref is being assessed they need to bother BUT:

If they're not being assessed and they make a song and dance about it - they're either a jobsworth / frustrated parking attendant or just need to get a life!!!