Liverpool news: Pundit backs controversial rule change as Andy Robertson footage analysed
Alan Hutton has backed a major rule change after Andy Robertson’s half time altercation with assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis when Liverpool faced Arsenal on Sunday (9 April).
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Tottenham and Aston Villa defender backed suggestions to introduce a buffer zone around referees and officials during games.
As shown on Sky Sports (11 April), Hatzidakis was approached by Robertson during half time of the 2-2 draw at Anfield and the official appeared to elbow the Reds defender in the face.
Robertson was shown a yellow card by referee Paul Tierney for his role in the incident.
The PGMOL confirmed they will investigate the incident and have removed the official from working on any fixtures whilst they carry out a full investigation into the matter.
Hutton suggested a change to the rules could help avoid similar incidents in the future.
“Just have a rule that you can’t get too close to them,” he told Football Insider.
“Maybe a two metre barrier between players and officials, that is quite easy to implement. Before every game you tell your players that they can’t go near the ref.
“If you go within the two metres you are going to get yellow cards. If anybody encroaches that, yellow card, after a couple they are not going to come anywhere near you.
“If Andy Robertson had done that to the linesman people would have gone absolutely mental. You can’t have rules for one and not another but you don’t want to see people being banned or losing their jobs.
“If you maybe added in a barrier around them for example it would maybe just stop it.“
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