Futbol: if you could change one rule...

L

longtex

Guest
... what would it be?

This is an easy one for me: the offside rule. I hate this ******* thing. It's ostensibly about "fair play", but I fail to see what getting behind the defense has to do with fairness - or sportsmanship or gentlemanliness. Maybe it's arguable that doing away with it would reward speed at the expense of ball-handling (I mean, ball-footling, I guess), but I'm not so sure that's a bad thing.

It would certainly change tactics quite a bit, and it would do away with one of the most aggravating game-changing calls, often so close as to be argued ceaselessly... and it would raise scores, which in most minds might be the best argument of all for getting rid of the rule.

That's mine - what's yours?
 
Can't change that one. You'd have snowbirds camping next to the keeper. You could adjust it slightly. I'd recommend an offensive line around 35 yards out similar to hockey. You can't be offside short of that. Right now it is the half way line. My rule would create space by forcing the defense to watch the furthest forward.

Also, the excuses for no replay are ridiculous. It would never result in a delay like football or baseball. The referee can call back at any point in play as you see when he plays advantage. You'll see refs currently go back and card a guy that committed a foul 30 seconds earlier. I'd use replay for goal line, diving, and red cards. Only the goal line scenario could disrupt the flow. If someone dives and earns a PK, it takes then 5 minutes to line up anyway.
 
If you get rid of the offsides rule, it would completely changed the game. Good teams will be based on speed more than skill as teams would just kick the ball to the other end and it would be a foot race to join the cherry picker on the other end of the field. Might as well make the field smaller because there would be no use of a midfield.

The offsides rule is there for a reason and it weren't for a few blown calls regarding it this world cup that were magnified, most people wouldn't think twice about it. Almost every soccer game will have a few offsides calls and most of the time, those people are generally offsides and a lot of the time the forwards know they are offsides.

When I played, if you were caught offsides often we got in trouble with the coach for not paying attention to the game and where the defenders were positioned.
 
I would allow careful video study after games, by a panel of referees, to ferret out flops. The guilty would be given a yellow or red card postgame, making them ineligible for the next match in the worst cases. This flopping business is a major drawback to enjoying these games.
I heard this idea proposed during one of the broadcasts, so I suppose it is being debated in some circles, I didn't make it up.
 
I am adding ref's, a few of them. I want two assistant's on the sidelines, each side. Basically one per side and one per half of the field. That way they have less running to do and less to look after. I want two more behind behind the goal area to see for hand balls and chicanery from that angle. You would have the 4 assistants on the side, the ref and two goal guys. 7 total. This gives more angles to see what is going on. I want quick conferring to go on with the crew and decisions made with their input.

U.S. football has a few guys on the crew and the field is smaller and with less continual action.

If we get rid of offsides in soccer I want it gone from our version of football too. Screw the other team if they are not ready out of a huddle. Just line up and go if even line up.
 
I would make straight reds a penalty, regardless of where it happens on the field.

I would also limit walls to 4 players on free kicks.
 
Kj, a total of 4 on the sides. They run down only half of the sideline and the other takes over. That way they have really fresh legs to give a good angle the ref cannot see. There are now 3 officials on the field. I want 7.
 
Here I thought KJgirl would want a rule that states Cristina Ronaldo has to play with his shirt off at all times.
 
No, a whole team plays skins and the other plays shirts

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Offsides cant be changed. There have been plenty of goals scored this world cup because of smart play that has beat the defense on well timed through passes and lobs that have beaten the defense. Enough said. Thats not the problem.

Things I would do:

Goal line technology absolutely. They already have cameras but there should be booth verification or somekind of automatic signaling.

Have the main referee who keeps track of time and hands out cards, but have at least one additional referee to watch off the ball in particular. Perhaps have two lesser refs, just to give additional pairs of eyes.

Diving can be very difficult to spot. Even on TV I have seen plays where I thought the player fell down and acted hurt when I thought he should just get up. However, upon replay you see the other players cleats smashing the back of his ankle or leg, and you realize that they may just have hurt like a *****.
 
this is a really easy one for me. if you get taken down and roll around on the field for a few minutes and waste time and on top of that have to get taken off the field on a stretcher, then they must stick you in an ambulance and take you to the hospital. no magic hairspray on the ankle, water breaks on the sideline, a quick jog, and then you're magically back to full strength in seconds.

in american sports, no athlete with any ounce of self respect would allow himself to be taken off the field on a stretcher unless he had a legitimate serious injury. i feel like this is the most egregious type of cheating in soccer, because the guy taking the dive is trying to take advantage of the referee and potentially exposing the "offender" to an unfair red card. this shows a total lack of respect. i'm absolutely disgusted when i see people taking blatant dives; many times it happens during a legitimate scoring chance when they just give up on the play.
 
The problem with the diving is what I said earlier. Its difficult to determine at times when a player is knocked around if he is falling intentionally or if he legitimately has lost his footing. Calling a foul inside the box in such a situation is extremely difficult and can potentially determine the outcome of the game.

However, if a player writhes in pain on the ground and is taken off on a stretcher, I agree, there should be a mandatory 10 minute rule, for example, where the player cannot return to the field of play. Either the team can substitute another player in his place, and he thus not allowed to return to the game, or said "injured" player must stay off the field for a full 10 minutes of game time.

The details can be worked out, but I agree. Ive seen this happen too many times and it is a joke.
 
I dunno know I agree. If it is a totally bogus red and especially one brought on by flopping, yes. But if it was deserved, hell yeah I like a man advantage. There were a couple of Dutch players in the WC final that needed to be seen the sideline for good but were not. V. Bommel deserved it for sure but got to stay on. As is a yellow does not deter douches like him.
 
You are aware that it is already pretty danged wide, right?

While the same length (including the 10 yards of end zone on both sides of the American Football fields) the Soccer field is about 20 yards wider. You want it wider than that? I am curious, my thirsty friend, what would the extra width you propose accomplish?
 
I don't always respond to my thirsty friend l00p in Austin, but when I do, I prefer it on Wed. night with gusto and a frosty cold Dos XX's in hand. I dunno loop, I just like it, I think 5 yards would give Shipley, Kirk, Malcom and Childs
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a little more room to work. Yes I know Jordan is gone but he his little bro looms large!
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Ooooooh, I see what you did there without realizing you did it. You are talking about American Football, right? You want to see OUR playing fields wider, not soccer fields!

Futbol v. Football.

You sir, need another XX
 
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