Ideas for rule changes

[KevinGage]

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 c***.

Impractical, Troy.

The container would need to be as big as one of those water coolers found in most offices.

The ref would look a bit of a tit if he was jogging around with that strapped to his back for every England match. They struggle to keep up with the game as it is.

[Brisbane Villan]

I'd change the offside rule (again)  no offside before an imaginary line which is the continuation of the 18 yard box.   Free the game up a bit, much easier to manage, more goals.  Suit Gabby perfectly

[Holtemeister]

If a player is injured following a foul against him by an opposition player needing player to leave the field of play for treatment, then the player committing the foul should also be required to leave the field of play until the injured player returns.    

If the injured player, who had been fouled against, receives treatment from the physio but is able to continue without leaving the field of play then he should be allowed to continue the game without doing so from the touchline.

It is an anomoly that a fouled against team can be at a numerical disadvantage following a foul against them and has needed ammending for a number of years .....

Also ... football is meant to be a 90 minute game ... many games the ball is actually  'in play' for nearer 70 minutes.

Take the responsibility for time keeping from the ref and appoint an official time keeper to stop and start the click each time the ball goes dead.  This will cut out timewasting and the vaguery of added time at the end of each half.

Signal the end of each half and the game with a hooter or pre recorded whistle for the more tradionalists over the tannoy .....

[richard moore]

Yellow card every time a player takes a throw in from the wrong place

Yellow card every time a defender shepherds the ball out over the goal line, obstructing the forward from getting to it

Automatic ten yards and sin bin for any dissent at all, even the slightest objection to a decision

Reintroduce physical challenges on the goalie, man and ball into the back of the net

Penalty for all shirt tugging etc in the penalty area at corners and free kicks

[LeeB]

I think the refs should wear jet-packs.

1) They'd never get in the way of the ball.
2) They'd have a much better perspective of the pitch
3) They'd be able to escape from moaning players on the recieving end of bad decisions
4) They're fitness wouldn't be called into question.
5) They could hover above the bar at corners and set-pieces and would be able to give a definitive answer on whether the ball crossed the line or not.

There must be more benefits, but I need to drop the kids off at the pool.

We have the technology, why on earth don't these clowns at FIFA implement it?

[Concrete John]

If a player dives for a penalty, and the ref is quite certain it was a dive, and he then appeals for it heavily with all the histrionics, a penalty should be given - to the other side!

[badluckeric(gates)]

Not intending to make progress:
With a few minutes to go when one team who is winning (or drawing if that is all they need) decides to run the ball into the corner and run the clock down it should be an offence 'Not intending to make progress'.
It is boring and a pathetic end to a game, it's easy to spot stands out a mile.
It should result in a free kick to the opposition which then enables a last gasp launch into the opponents box and a 'real' end to the game.

[BannedUserIAT]

Eric, that's just shit.

[ajmant]

I wouldnt allow goalkeepers to come out of the area.

[davevillan]

Not intending to make progress:
With a few minutes to go when one team who is winning (or drawing if that is all they need) decides to run the ball into the corner and run the clock down it should be an offence 'Not intending to make progress'.
It is boring and a pathetic end to a game, it's easy to spot stands out a mile.
It should result in a free kick to the opposition which then enables a last gasp launch into the opponents box and a 'real' end to the game.

That happens now. Refs have been mindful of this for a while, and you watch next season, when this happens, how often they penalise the attacking player for a foul, or give the throw-in to the defence.

[ColombianVillain]

If a player is injured following a foul against him by an opposition player needing player to leave the field of play for treatment, then the player committing the foul should also be required to leave the field of play until the injured player returns.    

If the injured player, who had been fouled against, receives treatment from the physio but is able to continue without leaving the field of play then he should be allowed to continue the game without doing so from the touchline.

It is an anomoly that a fouled against team can be at a numerical disadvantage following a foul against them and has needed ammending for a number of years .....

This would be the most abused rule in the history of any game. Think about it, players could go down easily when an important player on the other team makes the slightest contact. Players would then fake injuries even more and take longer to come back into the game so the other player can't  come in. Terrible idea

[davevillan]

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

FIFA dont change the Laws, all changes are done by the International board, 4 are from the Uk nations, and 4 from other nations.
To be fair, when they do make the changes, they always explain why, and they generally tend to be for the better.

[KevinGage]

What about a yellow card for the ghastly crime of 'over celebrating' a goal?

I could see why that might apply if the player in question starts giving it the big' un to the opposition supporters. Incitement and all the rest of it.

But I think back to Cahill's goal against the Rags a few years ago and Gabby v Everton. Both moments of pure spontaneity, when for a brief period highly paid processionals and supporters were united in joy.

And the ref jogs over and says 'enough of this.'

I don't actually blame the refs for that. They are only enforcing the law as laid out, and the assessor in the crowd will mark them down if they don't.
But what doughnut thought that up in the first place. If you want to look at part of the reason why referees have so little credibility and respect in football, anomalies like that are a good starting point.

Shirt tugging/cynical fouling/time wasting? = at the referees discretion.

Celebrating a goal? Yellow card offence. Meaning your player is walking a tightrope for the rest of the game or might actually be sent off if he's picked up another yellow for next to nowt earlier.

[E I Adio]

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

FIFA dont change the Laws, all changes are done by the International board, 4 are from the Uk nations, and 4 from other nations.
To be fair, when they do make the changes, they always explain why, and they generally tend to be for the better.

Thanks for the correction Dave, I have to say I didn't know that. However, although I wouldn't necessarily disagree that all the changes to the laws are generally for the better, my point really was that the lawmakers are slothful in the extreme. For instance, I haven't heard a single credible argument against introducing video evidence, at the very least for goal line decisions, when the technology has been widely available and used in other sports for years. I happened to think that pretty much all of the suggestions in cdvillafan's original post had some merit and were worthy of consideration, but I wouldn't be holding my breath.

[Darcy and the Curtains]

What happened to direct free kicks in the penalty area ?  might be
     a halfway house for iffy pen dilemas. It`s often one nil up and playing
     against ten men  OR  sweet F.A.                                                        
         
     The argument against video replay for key moments (pens  and ball
     over the line ) is bizzare.                                                              
     France v Ireland, Henry handball  (s). Everybody in the stadium new
     it was handballs, apart from the one man who needed to know. Priceless.

     The jet-pack ref idea is inspired. Had a good chuckle at that.  Get the
     linesmen on stilts (keep up with play + use opposite linesman`s
     stilt as an in-line aid ). Tell Platini it`s part of a comprehensive plan to
     elevate the standing of football officials and raise standards. Would get
     more thought at  UEFA than THE readymade solution.