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Soccer Rule Changes

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isucy86

Well-Known Member
Apr 13, 2006
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I have thoroughly enjoyed the FIFA World Cup. This is my once every four year fixation on soccer. Because of the stage, there is a lot of excitement and drama in just about every match. The low scoring nature of soccer helps create this drama. However the lack of scoring can be frustrating when I take a kitchen/bathroom break and miss a goal!!

I fully expect Soccer to be the USA's 2nd most popular sport in about 20-25 years. Surpassing baseball and either football or basketball. I love the skill level of the players and even though games are low scoring - the match time is limited to about 2 hours. Unlike baseball where a 2-1 game can last over 3 hours.

There have been some interesting ideas floated on how to make baseball games move quicker. I am sure most fans in the world appreciate soccer as is, but as an American sports fan here are some ideas I have for making soccer more exciting:
  1. 10 Players is too many. When defensive minded teams drop 9 or 10 guys in the box, it becomes almost impossible to pass or score. Go with 7 players to create space.
  2. As an alternative to less than 10 players would be specifying offensive/defensive players. Similar to the old 6 player Iowa Girls HS rules, limit the number of players on each side of mid-field.
  3. Eliminate off-sides.
  4. Penalize guys for yellow cards. Similar to hockey- put players in a penalty box for 3-5 minutes.
  5. Penalize guys for flopping
  6. Liberalize substitutions, allow players to sit and come back in.
What are other people's thoughts?
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: VeloClone, Tacoclone, harimad and 4 others
For starters I am glad you are enjoying the games. There have been some fantastic matches!.

As a long time player, coach and fan I would only support #5. However they currently is some what of a penalty for flopping and not getting the can. The opposing team can counter attach while you are on the ground out of the play.

The other 5 suggestions you make are what make the game what it is. I don't think they should be messed with to make them like another sport or "Americanize" them.

1. It takes more skill to play with more players on the field. To much space leads to a game of kick and chase. If you want to watch this kind of soccer go watch a rec game in the USA.
2. This would greatly limit the tactics and players the coach chooses to place on the field or substitute.
3. This is considered cherry picking and not fun to watch or play. See #1.
4. Yellow cards and meant to carry a heavy penalty. Limiting there impact would lead to a much more physical game and more injuries.
5. See above.
6. This is done at lower levels. At an international level it is not needed. If you can make it the whole game work on your fitness.

Just my 2 cents worth. I am an American that is in the minority. I have loved "football" for over 30 years!
 
  • Agree
Reactions: VeloClone
isucy86 said:
I have thoroughly enjoyed the FIFA World Cup. This is my once every four year fixation on soccer. Because of the stage, there is a lot of excitement and drama in just about every match. The low scoring nature of soccer helps create this drama. However the lack of scoring can be frustrating when I take a kitchen/bathroom break and miss a goal!!

I fully expect Soccer to be the USA's 2nd most popular sport in about 20-25 years. Surpassing baseball and either football or basketball. I love the skill level of the players and even though games are low scoring - the match time is limited to about 2 hours. Unlike baseball where a 2-1 game can last over 3 hours.

There have been some interesting ideas floated on how to make baseball games move quicker. I am sure most fans in the world appreciate soccer as is, but as an American sports fan here are some ideas I have for making soccer more exciting:
  1. 10 Players is too many. When defensive minded teams drop 9 or 10 guys in the box, . it becomes almost impossible to pass or score. Go with 7 players to create space.
  2. As an alternative to less than 10 players would be specifying offensive/defensive players. Similar to the old 6 player Iowa Girls HS rules, limit the number of players on each side of mid-field.
  3. Eliminate off-sides.
  4. Penalize guys for yellow cards. Similar to hockey- put players in a penalty box for 3-5 minutes.
  5. Penalize guys for flopping
  6. Liberalize substitutions, allow players to sit and come back in.
What are other people's thoughts?
Click to expand...

Here's the problem with what you've suggested - the NCAA does a lot of that, and MLS did a lot of the kinds of things you suggest. It only took a few years after its founding for MLS to get much more in line with FIFA's standards because the "Americanization" was so unpopular. As for the NCAA, it's a big reason why for the most part it fails to be a developmental league for USMNT unlike most collegiate sports.

People have tried Americanizing soccer for years to try and make it more popular in the United States, and that approach has time and again largely failed. It's when the USSF decided to embrace FIFA's standards and let the sport grow organically that way that it actually began gaining traction here.

As has been said, the only one of your proposals I support is #5, and actually a ref can give a player a yellow card if he catches the player flopping. But that's the trick - the ref has to actually catch him.
 
  • Like
  • Agree
Reactions: Doc and CywinLannister
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Not sure what the outcome was of this, but the guy falling down should get a penalty and then shamed.
 
  • Funny
Reactions: AgronAlum
In high speed situations the slightest contact can send someone flying. Hard to get it right calling a fake flop live there and unjustly sending someone off could have the bigger effect.

The situational reviews have worked pretty well, better than college football’s “every play is reviewed”. The ball position tech is something AMerican football needs to catch up on. ISU wins its bowl game easily with goal line tech tech, not to mention only team to never lose a fumble.
 
No no no. Terrible, terrible rule changes.

Also, you already can get penalized for flopping. VAR will help eliminate that even further.
 
No on rule changes. Most of the world loves the sport. Also if you don’t have kids you might not understand how big soccer is becoming. It will overtake football with the number of kids playing. Maybe not mire popular than watching football in America but number of players

For girls I think it might be the biggest sport being played. That or volleyball. Basketball is sliding in girls sports. Softball is going nowhere. Girls soccer is huge.
 
I really enjoy watching soccer, no matter what the score is. A great save is just as exciting as a goal IMO, and just watching the skill in the passing, dribbling, etc is very fun to watch.

I would like to see less physical play allowed though. Too much grabbing, shoving, pulling of jerseys, etc. I want to see these great players play. Like that one Brazil match, Neymar was abused all match long, and I don't think one guy got a yellow card for it. I don't tune in to watch Neymar get shoved to the ground all match, I tune in to watch his great skills.

I just think they allow way too much physical play.
 
I'd be OK with a yellow card meaning you also had to sit out for 5 minutes. Making the penalty for a yellow a bit more painful.

I'd also give a yellow to anyone who dives, and would not stop play for injuries unless there is blood or an obvious break or strain. If you are REALLY hurt, then hobble off the sideline and get subbed out - permanently. Otherwise PLAY ON.

The thing I hate most about soccer is guys hitting the ground, writhing like they have been stepped on by a bull elephant, delaying the game 3 minutes, then they bounce up are are 100% in about 5 seconds. Shameful. Funny how some countries do this a LOT more than others... I think Marcus Smart must be French...
 
I think the replay system has improved the offsides immensely. The refs in the WC have done a good job of letting the play continue and then let the replay system do its job.

Ultimately, soccer is not a high scoring game. If you don't like it, watch basketball.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: 3TrueFans
Always find it funny when Americans that don’t like soccer’s main problem is lack of scoring and Baseball is “America’s Passtime”...and to get around that little problem American football just gives you 6 points for doing the equivalent of a goal in soccer. Would everyone feel better if a goal in soccer was worth 2347 points?
 
  • Agree
Reactions: jdoggivjc and clonedude
Soccer definitely has a flopping problem, like Markus Smart is running training seminar's level. No one gets penalized and VAR hasn't helped deter it, just fixes the result in a very small number of cases. The problem is it's so ingrained in the modern game I don't know how you even begin to actually weed it out.

The only other rule change I'd consider is addressing the time wasting that brings so many good matches to a grinding halt over the last 10 minutes. I think that ones pretty easy, you just introduce a silent count that's enforced by ref's discretion. Keeps them from adding literal "play clocks" or anything similar while allowing the ref leeway in situations where the delays aren't unreasonable.

Soccer is great game to watch because of the flow and pace. There's little to no downtime and the games are relatively short. Fixing those two problems would accentuate those strengths.

That being said i'll watch regardless.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Gunnerclone
Bigman38 said:
Soccer definitely has a flopping problem, like Markus Smart is running training seminar's level. No one gets penalized and VAR hasn't helped deter it, just fixes the result in a very small number of cases. The problem is it's so ingrained in the modern game I don't know how you even begin to actually weed it out.

The only other rule change I'd consider is addressing the time wasting that brings so many good matches to a grinding halt over the last 10 minutes. I think that ones pretty easy, you just introduce a silent count that's enforced by ref's discretion. Keeps them from adding literal "play clocks" or anything similar while allowing the ref for leeway in situations where the delays aren't unreasonable.

Soccer is great game to watch because of the flow and pace. There's little to no downtime and the games are relatively short. Fixing those two problems would accentuate those strengths.

That being said i'll watch regardless.
Click to expand...

I’ve really gotten in to women’s college soccer because of these very things (and also because I can watch live on the ESPN app and games are often during the day while I’m working at home). No diving and theatrics, running clock, cool little stadiums all across the country, and welll...you know) :)
 
The other thing that bugs me is stoppage time. Just stop the clock when an injury happens. Never understood that.
 
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