Reinventing football

[Retro]

This is an interesting what-if article for anyone who watches professional football. How would you change the game?

Imagine a world in which you could reinvent football.

It's a dream, of course. Just a bit of fun. But stick with us.

What if you had the power to change any of the game's laws and potentially bring to an end countless hours of discussion about handball, offside, video assistant referees, or anything else you want to?

In that spirit, we asked players, pundits and even referees what football could look like if we ripped up the rulebook and started afresh.

Think of it as a manifesto for reinventing the game so many of us love.

Here's what we came up with...

Reinventing Football: Which laws should change? Handball? Offside? Penalties?

Imagine if you could make one change to football. We've asked players, pundits and referees what they would do.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Hitcore]

How would you change the game?

The way time is handled in football seems so arbitrary to me. Especially when players fake injuries, to win some time toward the end of the match (if their team leads). Also now that VAR is being used at least twice every match, which can take up to several minutes, the time just keeps on ticking like an unstoppable force. Of course there is added stoppage time, but it doesn't always reflect the real lost time. I'd like to see a match of 2 × 35 minutes, but when the ball is out of play or when there is a VAR check the time is stopped. Pure and simple. There'd be a lot less time smuggling this way.

Below an article where Marco van Basten explains why offside should be scrapped. I don't necessarily agree with him, but it is an interesting read that fits well within this thread. What do you think?

Marco van Basten on the offside law, why it should be scrapped, and the hockey precedent that might surprise

Talking exclusively to Sky Sports, Marco van Basten discusses his proposal to scrap offsides in football, while former Great Britain hockey captain Kate Richardson-Walsh explains how a similar rule change in that sport sparked unexpected tactical changes…

www.skysports.com

 

[Retro]

You're right that more time should be spent with the ball in play and less scope for unfair tactics that we see today. However, personally, I tend to find those things quite entertaining, especially when there's a good controversy going on and everyone's upset and wildly testiculating*. It can liven up a boring match no end.

I draw the line at injuries though. I know these people are wealthy beyond our wildest dreams, but I still don't like to see people get hurt, especially if it's something deliberate like a flying tackle. Injuries should be stamped out as much as possible. I like new rules regardling head injuries for example, can't muck about there.

I'll have to read that offside article when I get a moment as it's a bit long. The thing that immediately comes to mind though, is that you'll just get a player camping out by the goal waiting for the ball to come in so he can just knock it in one-on-one. Then the defence can do the same though to thwart him. Dunno, sounds iffy.

*Waving your arms around talking bollocks.

 

[Hitcore]

The thing that immediately comes to mind though, is that you'll just get a player camping out by the goal waiting for the ball to come in so he can just knock it in one-on-one.

That's exactly why I'm against it. Marco van Basten's argument for it, as I recall from having seen an interview, is that it would simply raise the number of average goals in a match significantly. I dunno, a match doesn't necessarily have to end in 13-7 to me. Might as well watch handball then.

testiculating

*Waving your arms around talking bollocks.

 

[Retro]

Ok, I've read that article now and it was interesting. Seems that there's more to it than just players camping out by the goal according to Marco van Basten and that hockey has been without it since 1998 clearly shows that it can work. Of course, these are different games so the dynamics aren't quite the same, but I'd be interested to see a few trial footie games without it, perhaps friendlies where it doesn't matter.

It would be funny to see seasoned players who have been used to the offside rule for all of their careers get mixed up during these games as it wouldn't quite be muscle memory at that point. Even funnier if the ref would get mixed up too. I'd find gaffs like that quite entertaining. Would there be any need for a linesman without offside?

In the end, this article is from March 2021 and I've heard nothing about this since, so clearly it's never gonna happen. Shame.

 

[Hitcore]

and that hockey has been without it since 1998 clearly shows that it can work. Of course, these are different games so the dynamics aren't quite the same

Very much this. Hockey is much more high paced and in a smaller confined space. More similar to futsal (indoor football). There offside doesn't exist. In regular football it exists for good reason...

Would there be any need for a linesman without offside?

There still would be, if only for keeping an eye on the ball whether or not it went out and by whom.

 

[Retro]

I guess those differences are critical, really. I wonder if it's ever been tried at any level of football.

Oh yes, of course the linesman is still needed. I was just testing...