How to improve football (c)

[Sybarite]

1) Offside rule only to apply within the penalty area. This would open the game.

2) Sin bin foulers until a goal is scored (taken from water polo rules). The exclusion to be carried over if necessary into the next match and thus do away with yellow and red cards.

John

 

[tcm]

I agree. Far too many offsides in scoring goals anyway.

And red cards are too variable - meaningless in the last five minutes, a game-loser near the start. Perhaps next goal or 10 minutes. I thnk there would far fewer offences.

 

[DaCostaGreene]

I think that not falling over your own feet and getting a free kick would be a good start too. Too many cheating sods on the pitch these days. I used to get sent flying, I'd just get back up and continue the game, then when the whistle blew - kick off in the changing rooms

 

[bbg]

Do the penalty shoot out at the beginning of the match, so the "losing" team knows it has to win during regulation + extra time.

 

[Sybarite]

I prefer the exclusion until a goal is scored. In most cases this would equate to a foul virtually costing a goal and there would therefore be far more peer pressure to clean up the game.

John

 

[Sybarite]

"...not falling over your own feet...."

I agree entirely. When you see the tackles that George Best rode over in the two clips you can see that he was head & shoulders above most of those playing today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=VlcTv...otball%20sports

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58A0uuv0HhA&search=best

(Just as I am writing this a Mexican is being sent off for faking...)

Fouls come in various categories I believe. The Italian who deliberately elbowed McBride (USA) in the face has no place in the game and I believe he should be prosecuted for criminal assault.

John

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Yup....

My 7 yr old sits absorbed in the footy... like many boys of his age, he is more than a little obsessed by the game......

That is however no kind of role model for him, and sadly, if it continues (which I expect it will), I will gently over time attract his attention elsewhere....

 

[BrendanS]

If we had someone like that to watch these days, I could be persuaded to get interested in football again

 

[tcm]

I see your point, but in water polo the sin bin means a player is sin-binned for evn quite minor stuff. More than one player from a team might be sin binned at a time, too. Protest or argue with the ref - he's out too!

A really serious attempt at cleaning up the game would mean more asst referees ensuring that there was no hidden holding pulling and so on. Cos it would mean five minutes out, every time, and if the main ref doesn't see it an assistant will. No ifs or buts - five minutes out.

Not sure how argentina would manage with just goalie for quite bit of the game. I hate their on-the-limit actions that constantly dare a referee to take action. I'm fine about anyother team winning but didn't enjoy their wins in the same way as I think many of us do enjoy wins from Brazil frexample.

 

[paul_williams]

i recon lions would do the trick! loosers get to stay on the pitch, winners leave. lions come on. might stop em playing with their hands in their pockets.

 

[Colin_S]

Won't work. We had 21 lions on last night and still managed to give the win away.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

eh?

I reckon there were 33 lions on....

 

[Colin_S]

And to think maths was always my strong point...................

Actually it was a deliberate 'mistake' to see if anyone does read my posts.
Think I got out of that one /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Nauti Fox]

What about the Rugby way? Where if you are gobby towards the Ref the other team gets the ball placed a further 10 yards down the pitch, er, all except that Mexican ref anyway.

 

[michael_w]

How about this as a daft idea:

After say 10 minutes of extra time, instead of the penalty shoot out bollox. After 2 minutes a player from each side has to go off. This continues every 2 mins till only the goalies and the coach are left on the pitch. Should be goals aplenty.

 

[bbg]

I've got another one - introduce an "over and back" rule - once a team crosses midfield, they are not allowed to tack the ball back into their own half - if they do, they lose possession.

 

[Sybarite]

Was there not a rule at one stage about negative play or am I confusing this with another sport?

There also used to be a rule about obstruction ie shielding the ball without trying to play it as it runs over the line. This is another practice which I don't like.

John