1. The game clock stops when a:
- Goal is scored
- Ref cards a player
- Player is seriously injured
- Substitution/s occur
No game clock please. Too American. That whole crowd counting down thing drives me nuts. The Australians started doing this in rugby and so you pretty much know the result 2 minutes before the end if the winning team has possession. Uncertainty and inconsistency help make football great. This is just one of the rules that would ruin it.
There's even a law of physics named after Sir Alex Ferguson.
Fergie's Watch
A timepiece that runs contrary to the laws of physics.
If your football team is winning after 90 minutes your watch actually runs faster than the referee's. The other teams coach has a watch that runs slower. And the referee's runs like crap whether your winning or losing. This is Fergie's Watch.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Fergie's+Watch
2. Refs can still add overtime minutes if the half is scoreless or tied.
It's not overtime, it's injury time. What's wrong with teams drawing? It took a big campaign by US fans over several years to get rid of the ridiculous Golden Goals rule, which one of the early rules when MLS was "dumbed down" for Americans.
Anyone non-Mexican who watched Mexico vs Guatemala was screaming for the underdogs to hold out for a draw.
3. A ref can be subbed at half time (or full time if going into extra time) with mutual consent of both managers.
Not only would this undermine the ref's authority but it would happen every game. In most cases, where players and fans complain, the ref actually turns out to be right but we only remember the ones where they were wrong.
4. Penalty Shootouts occur before the extra time. Results are only used if a tie remains after extra time ends.
Penalty shootouts are unfair and should be avoided at all costs. They're a lottery. Still it's better than before the mid-1960s when a coin-toss used to decide the winner.
5. If a goalkeeper is sent off resulting in a penalty, then a sub keeper can not come until after the penalty has been taken.
I see your point but it doesn't make sense in the context of the overall rules.
I remember the days before they had substitute goalkeepers. If a goalkeeper got injured or sent off an outfield player would have to go in goal. It was marvelous fun. In fact, the the vaguely remember the days before any substitutes were allowed. If a player got injured you were down to 10 men.
Manchester City goalkeeper Bert Trautman famously played out the last 17 minutes of the 1956 FA Cup Final with a broken neck.
6. Introduction of a “White Card” which leads to a temporary removal of the offending player from the game between 5 to 10 minutes depending on the Ref’s discretion.
No sin-bins please. It's been thought about but it gives the opposing team too much of an advantage and it gives the referee an easy option when he should be sending players off.
7. Modified Free Substitution System
- A team can only substitute a player/players when their is a stoppage in play where they maintain possession (Throw ins, Corner Kicks, Penalty Kicks, Indirect or Direct Free Kicks, Goal Kicks)
- Substitutions cannot occur at Halftime Kickoff or for a Drop Ball.
- A player who is subbed off during a half cannot be subbed back on until the next half (this counts for extra time halves)
- Player’s who receive a White Card can be subbed off but can not be subbed back on.
No, no, no, no. It works perfectly fine as it is. You really want to play Poku for 20 minutes, then take him off for a rest, then bring him back on for the last 20?
8. Attacking player to be ruled onside if any part of his body is level with the second-to-last defender.
I'm not sure what the difference is with the existing rule.
"A player is in an offside position when he or she is in the opponents' half of the pitch and closer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last opponent "
The goalkeeper is considered a defender.
9. Bench size increased to 11.
I preferred it when it was one. Often smaller teams can't put out more than 16 players. I think it is 11 in some international games. I remember a game between Notts County and Doncaster Rovers where a Chairman (owner), in financial difficulties, fired his manager, took charge himself, put his 15 year-old son in goal and put himself on the bench to make up the numbers
10. Games cannot end in a scoreless draw. If after 90 minutes the game is scoreless it goes into Extra time with a preceding Penalty Shootout if Extra Time leads to no goals.
If you really want this then go watch another sport. You may as well have TV commercial time outs.
10. New point system:
Home Games
Win: 1
Draw: 0
Loss: -1
Away Games
Win: 2
Draw: 1
Loss: 0
*Add a point for all goals scored.
The existing points system encourages away team to go for the win. Back when it was 2 points for a win teams would try and draw away and win at home. Since the 3 points rule was invoked football has become far more attack minded.
I understand why an American new to the game would want soccer to look like every other American sport but I'm sure the majority of American fans who have watched it for any amount of time like the fact that it's different to other American sports.
If you want countdowns, revolving substitutions, sin-bins and to ban draws then you are watching the wrong sport. 99% of fans globally would consider your ideas desecration.