Change It.

[MrE]

What ONE single rule change would you make to the game of football theat you think might improve it.

My suggestion would be that in a game that is possible to go to penalties, the penalties are taken before the game starts.
1) it would make the losing team "go for it" and create more open games
2) No single player would be singled out for failure, as the 90 mins would become more important.

 

[D_RoyJenkins]

What ONE single rule change would you make to the game of football theat you think might improve it.

My suggestion would be that in a game that is possible to go to penalties, the penalties are taken before the game starts.
1) it would make the losing team "go for it" and create more open games
2) No single player would be singled out for failure, as the 90 mins would become more important.

That wouldn't work. Its like giving a team a 1-0 lead to start the game, they would just park the bus the whole game

 

[413Blue]

To stay on the topic of Penalties, I wish they would take the old MLS Shootout format. It requires more skill from both parties and is more relative to actual Soccer action.

 

[CP_Scouse]

if there was more global club championships. MLS vs EPL vs La Liga vs ETC ETC

 

[einwindir]

Anytime a card is issued, the play must be reviewed by the refs. If it's found that time was stopped because of embellishment: Yellow Card.

The first season, game time would probably be effected - but you can just tack on a minute of extra-time. Players would soon learn that diving has a much higher risk involved.

 

[Vinjay]

Remove the goal line replay nonsense without a doubt.

 

[einwindir]

Remove the goal line replay nonsense without a doubt.

I guess since we (Americans) are used to this sort of thing in NFL and Hockey it's not really a problem for us. I think it's beneficial. Since goals are so important in soccer shouldn't you want to goal to be a true goal?

 

[Vinjay]

I guess since we (Americans) are used to this sort of thing in NFL and Hockey it's not really a problem for us. I think it's beneficial. Since goals are so important in soccer shouldn't you want to goal to be a true goal?

There's been times in the past where I haven't liked it (such as that ridiculous Mendes incident) but even then I wouldn't have supported a change. Games are all about human error. That's how the majority of goals happen in the first place aside from tremendous feats of skill and many long range efforts. They can stick 50 referees behind the goal instead for all I care at least it would still keep the human aspect involved. There's many things people don't like about modern football but why change one of the founding principles? Granted the choice wasn't there in the past but some things are better left untouched. Maybe saying every decision will be decided by robots is overboard (a I've previously suggested) but how long until something else is changed. They have already talked about replays for offsides amongst other things.

I won't deny enjoying controversy in many cases either. It brings out talking points when we are deluged with pointless (and boring) quotes. Players have had the personality sucked out of them the majority are too controlled to give a decent interview. It makes the referees jobs easier but they chose to do it. Nobody forced them to go out and be subjected to all kinds of abuse.

Highly doubt I'll change my mind. Stubbornness in my case has proved to be both a virtue and a curse. In this case far more the former. I'm glad MLS aren't using it yet.

 

[einwindir]

There's been times in the past where I haven't liked it (such as that ridiculous Mendes incident) but even then I wouldn't have supported a change. Games are all about human error. That's how the majority of goals happen in the first place aside from tremendous feats of skill and many long range efforts. They can stick 50 referees behind the goal instead for all I care at least it would still keep the human aspect involved. There's many things people don't like about modern football but why change one of the founding principles? Granted the choice wasn't there in the past but some things are better left untouched. Maybe saying every decision will be decided by robots is overboard (a I've previously suggested) but how long until something else is changed. They have already talked about replays for offsides amongst other things.

I won't deny enjoying controversy in many cases either. It brings out talking points when we are deluged with pointless (and boring) quotes. Players have had the personality sucked out of them the majority are too controlled to give a decent interview. It makes the referees jobs easier but they chose to do it. Nobody forced them to go out and be subjected to all kinds of abuse.

Highly doubt I'll change my mind. Stubbornness in my case has proved to be both a virtue and a curse. In this case far more the former. I'm glad MLS aren't using it yet.

Maybe I don't fully understand what Goal Line Technology is then because I can't even imagine what could be controversial about 'in' or 'out' .

 

[Falastur]

Remove the goal line replay nonsense without a doubt.

GLT is the one thing FIFA has got right in the last decade or more.

For me it would be retrospective punishment for diving. Get an official to review every game after its over to make sure no one cheated. Automatic one game ban if replays show there was no contact. Every time you can't go 10 games after your last ban without doing it again and the punishment grows by one game. It would kill the disease in weeks.

 

[jerseyhotspur]

unlimited substitutions (or at least an increase from 3).

 

[jerseyhotspur]

maybe something similar to the NFL Coach's Challenge?

 

[MrE]

unlimited substitutions (or at least an increase from 3).

It is a shame there isnt a dislike button, go back to the old days, 1 substitution per game.

The last thing we need is more substitutions, the game will become like NFL, and we will end up with "specialist corner kickers", penalty takers, throw in players etc etc,

It must always stay a game of two halves with manageable team levels, the max players must stay at what is reasonably practical for an amateur Sunday team to muster, and the game must stay as close as possible in the armature and professional levels

 

[Vinjay]

GLT is the one thing FIFA has got right in the last decade or more.

For me it would be retrospective punishment for diving. Get an official to review every game after its over to make sure no one cheated. Automatic one game ban if replays show there was no contact. Every time you can't go 10 games after your last ban without doing it again and the punishment grows by one game. It would kill the disease in weeks.

Well what about stumbles, slips etc is it possible to judge between that and a dive in every instance? If you want 100% conclusive proof in goal line replays (and I respect that opinion just disagree with it) then shouldn't diving instances only be ruled at 100% clear guilt under the postgame review system?

Lower league sides (in countries where replays are being used in top flight football) should have raised a bigger dispute over goal replays. Guess the reason they didn't comes down to cost.

 

[MrE]

maybe something similar to the NFL Coach's Challenge?

Please can you explain (to the ignorant Englishman) what the NFL coaches challenge is ?

 

[MikeDatTiger]

Eliminate penalty kicks. Penalty kicks are exciting, but they're exciting because they're close to a coin flip. After 90 minutes, make it "first to score wins" and go however long is necessary to score a goal.

 

[Vinjay]

Eliminate penalty kicks. Penalty kicks are exciting, but they're exciting because they're close to a coin flip. After 90 minutes, make it "first to score wins" and go however long is necessary to score a goal.

Coin flips, excessive replays and what you have proposed were all used at times in the past. There's a reason such things were replaced with penalties. As for penalties they are a testament to both skill and mental faculties certainly not things associated with coin flips.

 

[MikeDatTiger]

Yes, there is skill & pressure involved. But it's a skills competition, not a soccer competition and I hate that titles and legacies are decided on that basis. I guess I'd rather the outcome be decided by actual soccer. Moreover, I hate that we have games where teams are pushing for 0-0 ties in the hopes of winning one by PKs since they can't actually win one in actual soccer. The elimination rounds of tournaments like the World Cup (I understand why they can't do it in the Champions League because of the need to not overly hamper the teams who have league matches in three days) would be greatly more exciting if a team has to push for a goal to advance.

 

[MikeDatTiger]

Please can you explain (to the ignorant Englishman) what the NFL coaches challenge is ?

NFL coaching challenge allows the coach to "challenge" a call on the field, thereby requiring the official to view the video replay to determine whether there is indisputable evidence to show that the call was wrong. An example would be whether a receiver caught the ball before going out of bounds. Only certain kinds of calls are reviewable; for example penalties are not generally reviewable.

 

[Kjbert]

If you go into extra time allow an extra substitute for each period - takes subs from 3 to 5.

Also have a free substitute for GK changes due to injury.

They need to also figure out how to deal with concussions better.