Ideas for rule changes

[cdbearsfan]

Hi all,

I was thinking of some rule changes that could benefit the game. Feel free to comment on them or think of some of your own.

Persistent fouling : this seems to be refereed in too much of an inconsistent way. Some players get booked after about two tackles, others (Mascherano and Scholes spiring to mind) seem to get away with about a dozen before being carded. This seems pretty easy to sort. Like basketball, have an official on the sidelines counting the number of fouls. When it gets to a certain number, say five fouls, he tells the ref through an earpiece to book the player.

Diving : to stamp this out they should have retrospective bookings and red cards so if a referee is deceived by cheating the cheat will suffer the consequences after the game. Any dive that earns a penalty or gets an opponent sent off to count as a red card and get a minimum one game ban. This was proposed by the SPL a year or two but rejected by FIFA for being too much like common sense.

I would also change the law that says players can only be retrospectively punished for incidents that a referee didn’t see or if the opponents make a complaint. Often the ref will have seen, but misinterpreted, an incident. The opposition may not want to make a complaint as they may not want the player suspended (if his team are playing one of their rivals next, for instance). Both of these exemptions allow cheats to get away with it and should be abolished.

Magic spray : I like the magic spray. For those that don’t know, this is a spray that the referee carries in a can used in the Argentine League. At a free-kick, he counts out ten yards then sprays there. This stops encroachment as it is obvious if a player has crossed the line, he can then be booked accordingly. The spray disappears after a few seconds.

Throw-ins : here is another use for the magic spray. The linesme…, sorry assistant referees, will also have the cans. At throw-ins, they mark where the throw should be taken from. If a player tries to gain yards, rather than being sent back and told to take it again, it will be awarded as a ‘foul throw’ and given to the opposition. Too many times a team is winning with minutes to go and tries to gain yards at a throw. They know if they don’t get sent back they have gained yards but if they do get sent back they have wasted valuable seconds. This would be stamped out by the threat of giving the ball to the opposition rather than just asking them to take it again.

Now I move onto the most controversial area : video replays. I think these need to be brought in. Teams would be allocated two ‘challenges’ per half (like the system in the NFL). If a manager thought that his team had been wronged, he would be able to challenge a decision. The TV Official would be given sixty seconds to check the incident. If CONCLUSIVE proof was found that the decision was incorrect it would be reversed and the team wouldn’t lose their ‘challenge’. If conclusive proof couldn’t be found they would lose a challenge. If they had no challenges left, obviously they would be unable to challenge a decision for the rest of the half. Under this system the challenges would be very valuable so managers would not want to waste them. As such, they would likely only challenge massive decisions. This, in conjunction with the maximum sixty-second review rule, would ensure the game isn’t slowed down too much.

[BannedUserIAT]

The idea of the spray is a good one. But maybe he can carry capsicum spray and blast in John Terry's face every time he's being a complete ******.

[BannedUserIAT]

Being serious though, good post.

[d.boy junior(sid)]

I love the challenge rule, it's used in cricket but they get 4 I think. Something needs to be done regarding either goal line technology or more assistant refs or challenges because it's getting f***ing rediculous.

[cdbearsfan]

I love the challenge rule, it's used in cricket but they get 4 I think. Something needs to be done regarding either goal line technology or more assistant refs or challenges because it's getting f***ing rediculous.

Meant to say would also add goal-line technology.

[d.boy junior(sid)]

It's like the majority of fans wan this in buy some awkward c**t is saying no. Ibwould love to see him say no infront of everyones who says yes.

[E I Adio]

All of these suggestions seem eminently sensible, which will probably be the reason they will never be adopted by FIFA.

[eric woolban woolban]

The trouble is, these decisions that go for / against teams are great talking points in the pub, bulletin boards, work etc after the matches.

With these decisions taken out of the referee's hands, our discussions would become rather boring.

[J]

I like all of those ideas apart from the challenges. It would break the flow of the game too much and could be used tactically to relieve pressure.

[ronshirt]

Comedy Music: for instance Air on the G string should be played every time Robert Green is in possession of the ball.

[Comrade Blitz]

The basketball-style foul count is a good idea, but I'd take it further and make the ejection after 5 (or 6) fouls the rule.

The persistent fouling is just plain wrong and is used as a substitute for talented tackling/defending by far too many players.

[Breezeblock]

Comedy Music: for instance Air on the G string should be played every time Robert Green is in possession of the ball.

I'd suggest "Careless Hands" by Dottie West or the Benny Hill theme for that triangular fingered oaf.

[Drummond]

Comedy Music: for instance Air on the G string should be played every time Robert Green is in possession of the ball.

Do you mean, 'if' he gets possession of the ball?!!

[DrGonzo]

I'd like to see players trying to shepherd the ball out of play without attempting to touch it to be penalised with an indirect free kick.  It annoys the poo out of me when you see a player look over their shoulder, clock the opponent and then blatantly step in front of them without any intention of playing the ball.  Rather like the back pass rule it could make the game much more exciting as it would force defenders to play the ball and thus concede possesion/throw in, corner etc.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Good ideas apart from the persistent fouling. Each tackle should be judged on the tackle. Why should it matter if someone has done it 1 time or 50 times? A foul is a foul.

I'd also add a rule where, once the referee has spoken to a plyer regarding a decision and the referee gives his reason for the decision then the player must stop and move away. If not, a yellow card can be given freely by the ref. This would hopefully stop knobs like Terry and Stevie and a whole host of others constantly in the refs faces behaving like spoilt children. I think this rule probably exists now actually, but the refs are fearful of putting it into practice.