Just scrap the off-side law and let it be. For the love of whatever God you believe in, please just leave it alone. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40311889 A proposal to scrap 45-minute halves is to be looked at by football's lawmakers to deter time-wasting. Instead, there could be two periods of 30 minutes with the clock stopped whenever the ball goes out of play. Lawmaking body the International Football Association Board (Ifab) says matches only see about 60 minutes of "effective playing time" out of 90. The idea is one of several put forward in a new strategy document designed to address football's "negativities". Another proposal would see players not being allowed to follow up and score if a penalty is saved - if the spot-kick "is not successful", play would stop and a goal-kick awarded. Other ideas include a stadium clock linked to a referee's watch and a new rule allowing players to effectively pass to themselves or dribble the ball when taking a free-kick. Where have these proposals come from? The ideas have been put forward to Ifab by stakeholders in the game to tackle "on-field issues" and form part of what it calls its "Play Fair strategy", which has three aims of: improving player behaviour and increasing respect increasing playing time increasing fairness and attractiveness Part of the problem the new document highlights is that a 90-minute match has fewer than 60 minutes of playing time because of stoppages and time-wasting. Which plans need no law changes? The document has put forward a number of radical ideas for discussion, but suggests some proposals can be implemented immediately without the need for law changes. Most of these apply to trying to combat time-wasting. The document says match officials should be stricter on the rule which allows keepers to hold the ball for six seconds and be more stringent when calculating additional time. Additionally, it suggests match officials stop their watch: from a penalty being awarded to the spot-kick being taken from a goal being scored until the match resumes from the kick-off from asking an injured player if he requires treatment to play restarting from the referee showing a yellow or red card to play resuming from the signal of a substitution to play restarting from a referee starting to pace a free-kick to when it is taken Which plans are ready for testing? Some of the proposals are already being tested. The idea of only allowing captains to speak to referees - to prevent match officials being mobbed - will be trialled at this summer's Confederations Cup, which starts on Saturday. Another proposal involves changing the order of kick-taking in penalty shoot-outs, known as 'ABBA'. It is similar to a tie-break in tennis, with team A taking the first kick, then team B taking two, then team A taking two. That is a change from the traditional 'team A, team B, team A, team B' pattern. New suggestions also include players who are being substituted leaving at the closest part of the touchline to them instead of at the halfway line. Which ideas are up for discussion? This is where it gets interesting. One of the proposals would allow being able to dribble straight from a free-kick to "encourage attacking play as the player who is fouled can stop the ball and then immediately continue their dribble/attacking move". Other measures include: passing to yourself at a free-kick, corner and goal-kick a stadium clock which stops and starts along with the referee's watch allowing the goal-kick to be taken even if the ball is moving a goal-kick being taken on the same side that the ball went out on a "clearer and more consistent definition" of handball a player who scores a goal or stops a goal with his hands gets a red card a keeper who handles a backpass or throw-in from a team-mate concedes a penalty the referee can award a goal if a player stops a goal being scored by handling on or close to the goal-line referees can only blow for half-time or full-time when the ball goes out of play a penalty kick is either scored or missed/saved and players cannot follow up to score to stop encroachment into the penalty area Who has come up with these proposals? Ifab is made up of Fifa and the four British home football associations - of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - and is responsible for making the final decision on law changes. Former English referee David Elleray is Ifab's technical director and has overseen the document. "Referees, players, coaches and fans all agree that improving player behaviour and respect for all participants and especially match officials, increasing playing time and the game's fairness and attractiveness must be football's main priority," he said. The next stage would involve the ideas being discussed at various meetings before decisions are taken on whether to develop them further or discard them.
They won't all be adopted. The point is to have a discussion and think radically. I actually like the 30 minute halves idea. It would keep teams more honest than they are now. An alternative would be to say from 75 minutes onwards the final 15 minutes are protected in the same way. I like the idea for awarding a penalty goal for handball on the line but only once video replays are embedded to ensure its spot on. I don't see the point in rolling ball set pieces, dribbling from set pieces or banning rebounds for penalties during normal play.
I think the penalty law would be better if they didn't allow the taker to touch the ball until it leaves the box or until another outfield player touches it.
passing to yourself at a free-kick, corner and goal-kick - no a stadium clock which stops and starts along with the referee's watch - yes allowing the goal-kick to be taken even if the ball is moving - doesn't matter either way IMHO a goal-kick being taken on the same side that the ball went out on - yes a "clearer and more consistent definition" of handball - yes a player who scores a goal or stops a goal with his hands gets a red card - yes a keeper who handles a backpass or throw-in from a team-mate concedes a penalty - no the referee can award a goal if a player stops a goal being scored by handling on or close to the goal-line - depends how they implement it referees can only blow for half-time or full-time when the ball goes out of play - yes a penalty kick is either scored or missed/saved and players cannot follow up to score to stop encroachment into the penalty area - See above
I think they had a trial of the 30 minute half thing in a nondescript tournament a while back. It took away the need to hurry to restart, and it turned out a bit like American Football with long periods of nothing happening.
Please do, as I tried to find something to provide a link. But think about it, in American football the delays happen because the clock stops. in just about every other sport there are time limits to how long there is between play.
I think the shape of the football has become pretty boring and outdated.. i mean it hasnt been changed for centuries. How about making it square or banana shaped? That would surely make for a more interesting game.
I've heard some deviants favour an egg shape and allow players to pick it up and run with it! Wierdos
Sounds an awful idea. Reminiscent of the advert spoof "Mult-eye ball" shoot out they were going to have in the USA world cup. They want to stop trying to improve football. If it were up to me I'd immediately scrap three points for a win, the back pass law, shirt advertising, rotating and digitised pitch side advertising and telling us how much injury time there is (ruined the impassioned whistling and screaming for time we used to enjoy from 83 mins onwards back in the day). Get football back to being a proper sport rather than a pappy clown show.
I would change the offside rule back to what it was when was I taught it, not this unfathomable interfering with play B.S. I would enforce the foul throw rule. What professionals get away with winds me up. I would introduce the sin bin for things like continual niggling fouling, abusing the ref, 'professional fouls' etc. The player wouldn't be allowed out until they have calmed down and been silent for 5 minutes. If they continue to hassle the 4th official the would stay there until they stop behaving like spoilt children.
Oh, and I'd stop all of this walking over to the GT stand and shaking hands with the opposition prior to kick off. I want the team lining up in formation straight away. Certainly no talking/laughing/joking with the opposition until we have played them off the park and whipped their sorry assses. The opposition are the enemy.
Some good ideas there - probably will just take years to come in though. Teams will probably still timw waste even if the game is stop. There would be no flow or momentum.
Regarding the penalty shootout, I like the idea of the ABBA format, one other change that I wouldn't mind would be to do the shootout before extra time is played. The losing team from the shootout then know they have half an hour to save themselves by winning outright.
Two things I would change. 1.) Scrap the off-side law altogether. • Stand/run where you like whenever you like as long as you're not physically obstructing an opposition player. 2.) A minor point which is just a personal bugbear regarding where throw-ins are taken. • To save petty arm waving and vocal discord from players & supporters alike, I'd introduce markings on the touchline every 10 yards towards the halfway line from the corner flags. An initial mark is already there combined with one 10 yards from corner flag to goal post so an imaginary arc can be 'seen' and act as a guide for the defending side not to encroach the corner-kick taker. So, from the existing 10 yard mark on the touch line add another a further 10 yards and repeat from both corner flags until a distance no greater than 20 yards is either side of the halfway line. When the ball passes out of play between two such marks for a throw-in, the restart can take place ANYWHERE BETWEEN THOSE TWO MARKS and not, as is supposed to currently happen, exactly where the ball exited play. Then leave the game be. Thank you.
That's it... give us groundsmen more work to do Actually when i did work as a groundsman we used to put down markings on the perimeter track every 5 meters. These markings we used to check (and correct) how straight our mowing & rolling lines were and to check our fertiliser applications were even.
Excellent! My idea is all ready for the get-go on the groundsman's side, just ratification needed from FIFA and I can rest easy when there's a throw-in
But conversely the team who has won the penalty shootout may then be content to waste time and play for a draw in extra time ............
The scenario is akin to a team scoring in the first minute of extra-time as it is and half an hour is a long time for one team to shut up shop; compare it to some extra-times I've watched where both teams shut up shop.
Here's some that I'd like to see implemented. Keep the clock in the ground going after 90 minutes. Why do they stop it at 90? Show everything on the big screens. Why are they scared to show the controversial stuff where the ref may have got it wrong? He gets stick anyway. Let us drink beer in our seats. If some fans are too immature to be able to do that then ban them from all grounds, don't punish us all. Stop f*****g around and let us have standing areas.