A FRUSTRATED Sam Allardyce admits he does not know football’s rules any more – after accusing inconsistent refereeing of blighting the game.

The Rovers boss was furious at Steve Bennett’s sending off of Chris Samba in Saturday’s defeat at Stoke, with the giant defender now unavailable for two crucial Premier League matches.

Samba will miss tomorrow’s visit of Hull City and the following home match against Bolton Wanderers, games that could go a long way to deciding Rovers’ fate this season, with Allardyce still bemused at what his defender did wrong.

Samba received a first half caution after a tussle with Ryan Shawcross in Stoke’s box and then saw red after being booked for another seemingly innocuous tug on Ricardo Fuller on the hour mark.

Allardyce though insists incidents like the first one happen all the time in crowded penalty areas and has questioned why some are penalised and others escape without penalty.

He said: “We have had a man sent off and I still can’t understand why he got booked in the first place. We had a penalty appeal turned down that was blatant as well.

“I can’t tell anybody what the rules are today.

"If you had watched Sunderland versus Stoke City on Monday night, you would have seen Ryan Shawcross pulling and tugging on Kenwyne Jones and not a thing was done about it by Howard Webb.

“He is given the same treatment by Chris Samba on Saturday and yet Steve Bennett decides to book both players.

"I just can’t understand it, where are we going?

“What should be given in these situations?

"You have one referee who doesn’t give anything and you have another referee who books both players and that ultimately results in our player getting sent off.”