They were discussing the other week on football heaven about what rules you would change. Makes quite an interesting debate, think the game needs a bit of a refresh in some ways. To start off I would like to see.. 1. Stop added time, but stop the clock for injuries & Subs or when the ball is out of play. This would stop most of the timewasting (one of my pet hates, even when we do it when winning). With that in mind, we don't want to play til 6pm every week so because it is in play time, reduce each half to maybe 40 mins. Take it out of the referees hands to decide whether to allow that one last attack, use a loud air horn or something to signal the end of play. 2. Automatic booking for players who when the ref calls them over, don't immediately respond when summoned. 3. Bookings for players who seem to think it acceptable when free kicks or throw ins are awarded to pick the ball up and walk away with it. This happens every match, another pet hate lol.. Players get booked or are supposed to for kicking the ball away, walking away with it is no different. 4. For offsides, clarify the active / inactive scenario. In my opinion, make it that any player within the box is classed as active, mainly because the goalkeeper defo has to keep an awareness of these players to a greater extent. Outside the box, always classed as inactive unless you are the one who receives the ball, then the same applies as to when the ball was played, were you in an offside position. 5. Possible shakeup of the points system. 0 for a loss, 1 for a 0-0, 2 for a score draw, 4 for a win by 2 clear goals, 5 points for a win with 3+ clear goals. Just thinking get rid of the bore draws, encourage more attacking play..
Any game ending in a draw would go to a penalty shootout. 2 points to the winner, 1 point to the loser.
I think there are far more goals now, so I wouldn't change anything in terms of reward. The scourge on the game is cheating and incompetence. Assistant referee assess all goals to ensure no offside involved (a bit like checking no balls in cricket). Diving gets a 20 match ban. Dissent advances a free kick 10 yards, If it gets inside the box, its a penalty. And agree that actual played time would be a much better measure, though I worry teams playing fitter better teams, may try and string things out to break play up and try and catch their breath. You could have some very long games and very late results reporting.
A new category of "****** fouls" which includes diving, dissent, time-wasting etc. Any of these and you get a yellow card and ten minutes in the sin bin. Time-wasting also immediately adds 5 minutes extra injury time
Scrap bookings for players celebrating with the crowd, I hate this rule, I go to football to see passion and see my team give absolutely everything. When a player scores in the last minute or in any minute in an important game like a derby I want them to celebrate like they've just won the world cup not punished for it. Flip side, celebration involving any kind of stupid handshake or some videogame dancing should be an instant ban from all of football.
In the event a 0-0 draw the club mascots, in full costume, must fight to the death. Failing that, no stopping to make the goalie go a certain way while running up to take a pen. I bloody hate that.
I agree with the time keeping rule, Rugby Union uses that to good effect. But the other rules not sure about. I would like to see a "sin Bin" as in Rugby and ice hockey. Also the injury rules looked at if a player is needing treatment that may be lengthy then team should not suffer, a temporary sub again as in Rugby and cricket. Also again as in rugby when a player/s are being disciplined by the ref then only the offending player/s and their captains can approach the ref, put an end to all the masses grouping menacingly around the officials.
Introduce a handicap system where the teams paying the highest wages have to have wider goals at the end they're defending, and narrower ones at the end they're attacking.
For one season and one season only, there are no points - placing in the table is determined solely by either goal difference, or if we want to go full crazy, total goals scored. It'd be absolutely bonkers and I've no idea what games would look like but I'd be interested to see it.
Shirt pulling in the box on free kicks/corners - they should be booked every time until they learn not to do it.
