To use studs or not to use studs? That is the question facing football players currently from the Premier League to the A-League.

A confusing and vague crackdown on slide studs-up tackle is causing headaches across the globe.

Since Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany was sent off in the FA Cup for a clean yet studs up tackle, it has become apparent to me that no-one has a clue on how to police studs up slide tackles.

Each week, a different referee interprets tackles like Kompany’s in a contrasting manner.

I don’t blame them as the law itself is as vague as each referee’s interpretation.

Tackles like Kompany’s, are not specifically mentioned in the FIFA Laws of the Game.

The closest mention off a tackle offences is FIFA law 12 section Sending Off Offences where Serious Foul Conduct and Violent Conduct are punishable with a red card.

Referees further down the page are told to blow for a foul based on whether the player used either/or “careless” “reckless” or “excessive force”

Careless warrants a talking to, reckless warrants a caution and a player who the referee judges to have used excessive force has to be sent off.

These definitions are way too vague as each referee interprets a foul differently.

While Kompany was sent off by the one referee, another may have judged this a great tackle and called for play on, and another may have warranted it worth a yellow card.

This confusion is causing one of football’s great defending weapons to be slowly wiped out which in my opinion is a disgrace.

A good slide tackle using studs to gather the ball is one of the great weapons in a tackler’s repertoire.

I don’t disagree with the belief that a bad challenge that hurts a player should be cautioned or sent off.

But a good clean 50/50 situation where studs are used in a manner that wins the ball properly and cleanly should not be outlawed.

It’s something that fans pay to see; a good hard challenge that makes players earn the ball.

I have never seen a clean slide tackle where the tackled player is seriously injured.

Players fearing retribution from the referee are now dangling their feet in challenges to avoid giving away a free kick.

This action is way more dangerous; a dangling limb in a challenge is a broken leg waiting to happen.

Kids not being taught anymore to put their whole body into a challenge or to slide cleanly because authorities don’t know how to police it and coaches don’t want kids sent off or get injured.

It’s the type of namby-pamby PC rubbish from “The Beige Brigade” (A Billy Connolly reference) that is influencing society and soccer.

Instead of punishing players for putting their body on the line in a fair and proper manner, let’s crack down on the tackles that are set out to seriously injure players in the hope of getting the ball.