Sean Ingle, writing for Guardian Unlimited, loves the tournament but laments the lack of scoring in this year’s World Cup. He proposes some changes:
Such intervention needs to happen again. Because ever since the wondrous magic of Euro 2000, football’s delicate balance between attack and defence has spun increasingly out of kilter. Here are a few ideas:
– Stop the clock every time someone gets injured. Too often players feign distress, especially in the last 10 minutes, wasting two or three minutes of play and destroying their opponents’ momentum. They’re rarely seriously injured. Another option: if the injury is in the middle of the pitch, allow the physio on but keep playing. Either way, more playing time may lead to more goals.
– Investigate the use of sin bins. At the moment it’s rational for defenders to body-check, scythe and take out opponents in promising positions, picking up a professional yellow, because conceding a goal is far worse. The possibility of 20 minutes in the sin bin – with a yellow card chucked in – for cynical fouls might change a player’s incentives and, ergo, behaviour.
– Increase the size of the goals by a few centimetres. Yes, you hate the idea. Every football fan does, but surely it’s worth experimenting with in a semi-professional league? After all, keepers are at least a foot taller now then in the 19th century when goalpost sizes were laid down in law.
Think American TV likes that idea about time outs (known here as commercial time outs)?
Pointer via The Sports Economist.
Hello,
I absolutely agree with your idea about increasing the size of the Goals. Heracy I know to most football fans, but think about the benefits :-
1. More Goals – everyone likes Goals!
2. Less reliance on ‘dodgey’ refereeing decisions
3. Less games (inc World Cup Final!!!) ending in Penalties!
4. Typical match score 4-2 or 5-3 instead of 0-0 or 1-0.
5. Less of the ‘what a great shot but it hit the cross bar’
It’s a no brainer when you think about it!!! – So think about it!!!!! (All you ‘Die Hard’s’ out there!).
Bye
Kevin
Keep the goals the same size.
Use video replay to retroactively punish players who dive (cards and suspensions depending on seriousness). Give more cards for dives anywhere on field, not just in box.
Add two assistant refs on field (ref calls the game, assistants help make calls).
Eliminate offsides (or limit it to the 1/3 of the field closest to the goal — basically starting at box).
Eliminate the practice of kicking ball out of bounds for injury.
Keep players stretchered off field out of game for at least 5 minutes.
Consider stopping time altogether for injuries and substitutions.
Add more subs in overtime.