Soccer rules I would change

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That's silly, Aldeth. A game could go on all day with no conclusion and the players would be endangering their health. This isn't American Football or Ice Hockey where it's all stoppy starty and the players stop for a break every 2 minutes.

 

If it's up to the Americans, they'd turn this game into a freak show in no time. Do you HAVE to bend and twist the rules before there's a slight chance y'all might start to like this game ? I mean come on...you already raped the concept of penaltykicks with starting to dribble from midfield and try to outplay the keeper, that's directly copied from hockey. Why don't you just give up and stick with baseball ? It's obvious that Americans and football is bound to be a rotten marriage.

 

But don't you ever feel a bit left out?
Even your fellow Americans are taking an interest in the Worlds Greatest Sport now!

 

Perhaps I should explain myself in a bit more detail. The reason I dislike shootouts in the later rounds is for two principle reasons:

1. The outcome is determined by a player's ability in one very specific aspect of soccer - namely the ability to kick the ball into one of four corners of the goal. I guess I should say two abilities, as it also involves deceiving the goalie so that he doesn't know which of the four corners the kick is going to. Now, I may be an uncultured American, but my admittedly limited soccer experience has inclined me to believe that there is much more to the game of soccer than the ability to accurately kick a ball into the goal. It's a very important skill to master, but certainly not the only one.

2. Shootouts seem to be antithetical to the game of soccer, as it transforms what is an otherwise team sport into a one-on-one competition. Teams built around defense, precision passing, good shot selection are put at a distinct disadvantage to teams that play a run and gun style. The former skills are great for a team game, but useless in a shootout.

 

Improvements i would like to see in the game would be some sort of laser / sensor system which can detect when a ball has completely crossed the goal line. Ive seen too many goals cross the line but then be fumbled out and not given, i can remember one for France i think in the group stages and several in recent Premiership seasons.

 

Oh, and the biggest rule I would change would be: Hold WC more frequently than once every four years. Why is it that international competitions (regardless of whether we're talking about the Olympics, WC, whatever) occur only once every four years? Would anyone be opposed if we had a WC say, every two years?

 

Aldeth, all the money in soccer is in the clubs and the club world is possibly even bigger for some fans than the World Cup. There is plenty to keep soccer fans happy in between World Cups.

I still think video replays have got to come in for big games. It's ludicrous that it has not happened yet. Give the poor referees some backup, by having a colleague in the stand that they can double check things with! It's simple.

 

We have the European Football Championships every 4 years as well, which almost as big as the WC, so there is a major tournament every 2 years.

But yeah, club football is arguably bigger than international football anyway.

 

Yes, very much so. Just look at the World Cup in Ice Hockey. Nobody cares about it, because it's played too often. The only cup that people actually cares about is the Olympics, because it's only every fourth year.

 

I don't know about that. The Super Bowl gets pretty damn high ratings for being played every year.

 

In the US, yes. There's a whole world outside the US, too.

 

The eliteness (if thats a word) is what makes the world cup so special. I think this is only the 18th to be played, we dont want every tom dick and harry with stars on their shirts do we?

 

we have the Asian cup every 4 years as well. And there are Gold Cup (north ameria), Copa Americana (south), African cup of nation, Nations cup (oceania except australia).

[ July 06, 2006, 00:07: Message edited by: teekc ]

 

What about the Confederations Cup as well? That's the one that New Zealand sometimes does OK in.

 

That's nothing more than the climax of a regular season, you can't compare that with the long road a nation has to walk to even get to the tournament stage. There's a qualification round against 5,6, or even 7 other nations, and then there's the final round in which 32 nations from all over the world compete. Meanwhile, all the players have to compete at the same time in their own national leagues, and most of them in international competitions such as the Championsleague. You also have to take into consideration the insane amount of money it costs to organize such an event, and you'll understand that it's simply impossible to hold the WC more often than once every 4 years.

 

Regardless - FIFA is considering WC every second year thus stopping IE the EC. And the possibility of dividing IE Europe in 3 divisions instead of playing qualifications so the 1st division allways joins the WC. The 4 countries in the buttom of 1st division then plays about staying in 1st division with the 4 best of 2nd division and so on. In that manner the great footballnations will be spared for the many national games, thus saving the greater teams (IE Milan, Man U) players for Champions League.

This is anyway what I heard on the radio befor the WC. It's one of three ideas FIFA is considering and, as far as I remember, their favourite.

But lets wait and see, much can happen when the corrupted meets

 

FIFA can try to create what they want, UEFA will never agree to such terms. There's much more money involved in the Championsleague and UEFA cup, than there is in a WC. These plans are on a direct collision course with the big guns in European clubfootball. And guess who's gonna win this one ?

 

No they are not, they are a way to react to the G14, who wants so very few national games. In fact it was somewhat approved by G14

My thoughts too, there's too much power on stake.

 

That was actually my point. The Super Bowl isn't nearly as grand as the WC, and they still get high ratings (even some international). So the World Cup? Would still blast it away every time even if played every year.

I can't speak to the logistics of it, though. Kind of a shame, if you ask me. Though if the playoffs & Super Bowl can be more than funded off of the extravagant prices for commercial slots, why not the WC?
EDIT:
Duh, no commercials because it's constant play. Oh well, so much for that idea.