One way to improve soccer

[renard_ruse]

I know that radical proposals to improve soccer by making the goals bigger or eliminating the offsides rule will never be accepted by the ultra-conservative traditionalists who hold sway in the world soccer community, however, one idea that actually existed in early modern soccer could be revived, and it would also reduce the substantial brain injuries that result from heading the ball.

Bring back the mark. Early modern soccer allowed players to catch the ball on the fly and shout "mark." A player, under certain circumstances, could catch the ball and would be entitled to take a free kick from the point of the "mark."

This was the same rule that evolved in to the mark in modern rugby and Australian football, and eventually into the fair catch in American football.

How and in what circumstances a "mark" would be permitted would need to be debated, but at least it would add another dimension to the game and make it a little bit more complex and interesting.

 

[TheOcho]

Eliminate diving. That's how you make it more watchable..

Have an off field official watching the game on screen that can see the replays and card guys who clearly dive... I don't see what would be so wrong with that.

 

[renard_ruse]

Eliminate diving. That's how you make it more watchable..

Have an off field official watching the game on screen that can see the replays and card guys who clearly dive... I don't see what would be so wrong with that.

Diving is the only problem with the game?

I think boringness and the simplicity of the rules are also areas of concern.

 

[TheOcho]

Diving is the only problem with the game?

I think boringness and the simplicity of the rules are also areas of concern.

It's not the only problem.. It's a main source of frustration though - especially in international play it seems.

Over the last year I've kind of gained an appreciation for the sport and it's nuances. Could it stand to be more exciting? Sure, but then you'd need to make the field smaller, cover it with ice, let the players carry curved sticks and use a rubber disk instead of a ball..

 

[Lord_Nibiru]

That's for rugby, not football.

One thing I'd like introduced is to have the referee's mic linked up to the stadium PA systems. As a season ticket holder it never ceases to amaze me how pathetically riled our fans get when the officials make what seems to me to be perfectly reasonable decisions. Refs will make mistakes, but I would prefer them to explain their decisions as they do in rugby.

If there was a rule I'd definitely have changed, it would be to remove the pass-back. Not because I think it's a terrible rule particularly, but because my team (based in Bristol in England) used to have a cracking keeper until the pass-back rule came in, after that he was shocking. He's probably in his late 40s by now but chance to redeem himself would be good

 

[Super-Surprise]

Perhaps a few new rules would improve the spectacle.

Every player should be allowed to use five of the 26 letters in the english alphabet at any time during the game by yelling it out. Then that player is allowed to pick a verb begining with that letter and act it out. One such example would be to yell out the letter "W" and then say "Wedgie" which would then allow that player to perform a wedgie on any opponent of his choice. Another might be the letter "N" with the player announcing "Nutshot" followed by a swift kick to the groin of the oppsing goalie.

 

[LiFeNdEaTh]

i never liked soccer.

 

[Santa__Claus]

i never liked soccer.

We call it football here at the North Pole. The elves like to play during the summer when toy production slows down.

 

[Liar]

Bring back the mark. Early modern soccer allowed players to catch the ball on the fly and shout "mark." A player, under certain circumstances, could catch the ball and would be entitled to take a free kick from the point of the "mark."

Sounds like a horrible idea that would only serve to slow the game down and make it boring.

Replay calls are way overdue though.

 

[1sickbastard]

Skip soccer and watch hockey, rugby or Australian football.

Soccer is boring. Watching Soccer fans is usually far more entertaining than the game.

 

[LiFeNdEaTh]

We call it football here at the North Pole. The elves like to play during the summer when toy production slows down.

american football >