Own goal

Post-goal celebrations are coming under scrutiny by English medical officials, with some calling for yellow cards to be shown to players who violate Premier
 League protocols. | POOL / VIA REUTERS  (Source: The Japan Times)

Back in the Summer the Premier League issued official guidelines on how soccer games should be staged, played and broadcast amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Players were told not to spit, clear their nose or surround match officials when the season restarted.

Some sports, such as basketball and tennis, penalise players for spitting, but football and rugby do not, so the players are free to expectorate.

Also, from the Japan Times on hugging:

"Chelsea manager Frank Lampard defended his players on Thursday amid a growing debate about teams celebrating goals with hugs and high-fives while the country is battling the COVID-19 pandemic.  

"The Premier League was holding virtual meetings to reinforce the message that protocols must be respected, but Lampard echoed other top-flight managers in suggesting that was easier said than done. 

"'Football has and always will be a game of instinct. If we want to take the instinct out of the game then it is not that simple'."

It is simple. 

The NHS is being overwhelmed because some people will not change their habits. 

People are dying, jobs are being lost, businesses are closing. Families are having to survive on food parcels while the next generation misses out on their education.

The average salary for a Premier League footballer exceeds £3m a year. Instead of being a law unto themselves some sense of responsibility would be welcome .

Yellow cards needed?                            Source: The Indian Express (Photo AP)