If you could change the rules of football (soccer) what would you do?
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I would eliminate heading to reduce the risk of concussions, CTE, and dementia among players. The long-term benefits to recreational/casual players, not to mention semi-pro and professionals, would be well worth it. Do you like this idea? Do you have your own to add? Let us know!
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Eliminate the Offsides penalty!
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@CooperDad No offsides works for indoor soccer given the confines of the field/areana, but if you remove offsides for outdoor play then you risk having players just hanging around the goal waiting for a loose ball, which then means having defenders hanging back to cover these players. On a standard football pitch, that would leave the middle section a wasteland from which players would launch balls goalward, and so you wouldn't have build-up play. The NASL way back in Pele's/Beckenbauer's time had two offside lines dividing the pitch into thirds in an effort to encourage more aggressive and high scoring games (the NASL also had "shoot-outs" where players had a fixed amount of time to dribble in and score against a keeper instead of penalty kicks) but that never took hold.
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@schwartzseer said in If you could change the rules of football (soccer) what would you do?:
@CooperDad No offsides works for indoor soccer given the confines of the field/areana, but if you remove offsides for outdoor play then you risk having players just hanging around the goal waiting for a loose ball, which then means having defenders hanging back to cover these players. On a standard football pitch, that would leave the middle section a wasteland from which players would launch balls goalward, and so you wouldn't have build-up play. The NASL way back in Pele's/Beckenbauer's time had two offside lines dividing the pitch into thirds in an effort to encourage more aggressive and high scoring games (the NASL also had "shoot-outs" where players had a fixed amount of time to dribble in and score against a keeper instead of penalty kicks) but that never took hold.
Thank you for the very informative and thoughtful response. I learned something here.
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I don't think there should be a Yellow card for a shirt removal celebration.
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Absolutely offsides and refrees.
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I would introduce a sin-bin rule for minor fouls, allowing referees to send players off for 5-10 minutes instead of issuing a yellow card. This could improve discipline and keep matches fairer.
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God, where do I start? Heading: yes, I understand the concerns, I really do, but there are few things in the game more thrilling than a diving header: the scorer diving full length to get his nut on the ball, ignoring possible injury.... It's a dying art already.
Go back to how the offside rule used to be - less than two players between you and the goal when it's played to you, you're offside, level means you're on.
Penalties for handball only when it's deliberate - all this nonsense about body shape and defenders expected to keep their hands by their sides or behind their backs when challenging in the box is stupid. Similarly if the ball hits your arm when you're in an aerial challenge it's never a penalty (unless you actively punch or palm the ball) - it's humanly impossible to jump without raising your arms.
Goalkeepers should not be a protected species: 50-50 challenges should be allowed anywhere on the pitch. Football is a contact sport, and every player is aware of it and revels in it. If they don't they should go play golf or something.
All these tip-tap three yard goal kicks are stupid too - the ball should leave the 18 yard box before anyone can touch it.
Get rid of VAR or use it properly - if the ref checks it and still thinks his decision was correct then that's it, end of story. No appeals.
Loads more stuff wrong, but that'll do - this old Dinosaur goalie from the best times (70s and 80s) is convinced that Arsene Wenger and his money-grabbing paymasters are ruining what should always be a simple - and yes, beautiful - game!
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The game is pretty hard to beat as is, rule-wise. Combating diving would be nice -perhaps make them work in the mines for 6 months if caught. Or castration. Or both.
One rule I never understood was the minor details of the throw-in. Fundamentally, how does it change the game if the chap leaps up and/or throws the ball with one arm. Does anyone care?
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@mycologycollege FIFA cares.
It is supposed to limit the player, hence the radius the ball is thrown in. But over time, players got stronger and healthier and now they are capable of throwing like a corner kick with that limitation.
