What you'd change about football rules

[raoul]

Watching some games this week reminded me of my wish list to stop players being so annoying:

- any time wasting whatsoever results in 2 minutes added to the game, for each indiscretion
- when a player has a decision go against them, they (and their teammates) are not allowed to touch (or block access to) the ball. If they so much as touch it, yellow card and 2 minutes added to the game time
- any player who goes to ground "in agony" is required to leave the field of play for a minimum of 2 minutes (the 4th official can time this) as they clearly need a H+S assessment before rejoining the action
- goal celebrations involving the removal of a shirt are perfectly fine, stop the yellow card nonsense

And very importantly:

- all pundits are to be informed that the following comment is banned "if you are touched in the box you have a right to go down". Utter twaddle. You go down if you are unable to stand up. And in fact this applies across the pitch not just in the box.

Any others, please share.

[forestfan]

- A visible clock that is stopped as per rugby, whenever there is an injury or time-wasting etc.
- Referees given microphones and everything said can be heard by the TV viewer. Red cards for any language deemed unsuitable for broadcast... and 10 yard penalty for arguing with the ref, including an actual penalty kick if it is within 10 yards of the edge of the area.
- I certainly wouldn’t encourage the shirt removal, in fact I’d make it a red card, so nobody would ever do it, unless there was a pre-approved tribute etc. as in the recent Leicester case.
- Refs to come out and explain their decisions post-match. Managers to be able to say what they like about the refereeing as long as they don’t allege corruption/cheating (i.e. “he was crap” is fine).
- VAR to be available to referees for line decisions and violent conduct, and via a manager’s challenge flag for other decisions.
- Temporary subs for head/blood injuries.
- Ban all payments from clubs to agents, and impose a tax on transfer fees to be distributed to lower levels of the game.

[raoul]

- A visible clock that is stopped as per rugby, whenever there is an injury or time-wasting etc.
- Referees given microphones and everything said can be heard by the TV viewer. Red cards for any language deemed unsuitable for broadcast... and 10 yard penalty for arguing with the ref, including an actual penalty kick if it is within 10 yards of the edge of the area.
- I certainly wouldn’t encourage the shirt removal, in fact I’d make it a red card, so nobody would ever do it, unless there was a pre-approved tribute etc. as in the recent Leicester case.
- Refs to come out and explain their decisions post-match. Managers to be able to say what they like about the refereeing as long as they don’t allege corruption/cheating (i.e. “he was crap” is fine).
- VAR to be available to referees for line decisions and violent conduct, and via a manager’s challenge flag for other decisions.
- Temporary subs for head/blood injuries.
- Ban all payments from clubs to agents, and impose a tax on transfer fees to be distributed to lower levels of the game.

I was going to mention the clock idea, but am worried it will get stopped too often ... on the other hand, if a hooter goes off when the time is up, no more accusations of "Fergie time" etc.

The 10 yard rule ... again I thought of this, but with free kicks being closer is not necessarily an advantage. Maybe the wall has to go back 15 yards instead of 10?

Agree refs should be able to explain decisions post match, but preferably not be interrogated. Just a simple explanation would do.

1 manager challenge per game (or maybe per half), and yes please to VAR.

Flat rate tax for each transfer (or it will get fiddled) - $0.5m?

[Dennisthemenace]

Penalties awarded inside the 18 yard box. From what I see, the majority of penalties are given when the player doesn't even look like he's going to shoot on goal or that he's going to pass to someone who is. Some of the time they've got back to goal or not even looking like they're about to shoot on goal!

Are these incidents really worth a free-kick on goal from just 12 yards?

Always annoys me when a player who doesn't even look like scoring is given such a massive advantage.

No doubt 'a back to goal rule' would cause too much controversy, as would a 'running away from goal'. So I say the penalty area should just be reduced to 12 yards.

Whilst they're at it, there's a few pitch markings which seem a bit redundant.

1. Centre circle - used to keep the opposition players at bay at kick off. Not needed. Just have a rule that the first kick from kick off is not allowed to be challenged

2. Penalty Arc - used to keep players 10 yards away at a penalty kick. Not needed. Much better would just be to have all players other than the penalty taker and keeper on the half-way line

3. Six yard line - not needed with a 12 yard area. Keeper can kick from anywhere in the 12 yard area

[forestfan]

The pitch would look a bit shit without all the extra markings...

I don't have a problem with the penalties given when players are not in a goalscoring position, unless it's from diving... defenders who needlessly dive into a tackle in those situations deserve all they get.

[Zimmerman]

Some atrocious ideas on here

Soft penalties ‘there’s contact’ I agree are bollocks. Would it be a free kick on the halfway line? No. So it’s not a pen.


Blantant dive (in conjunction with VAR) straight red.


Pretty much every foul is a yellow card. I’d do away with that. It’s possible for it to simply be a free kick.

The ref warning players that their next one is a booking? Tough shit. If it’s a card it’s a card.

The only thing worse is the theatrical totting up gesturing from the ref.


The other annoying thing is that something that would ordinarily be a booking getting allowed to ride because the player had already been booked earlier in the match. Tough. A yellow is a yellow.

Same with dissent. Get them booked or sent off. They’d soon stop.

A sin bin - could be used instead of a cheap sending off (second yellow) or the dissent indiscretions.

[murf]

Let's get VAR in and settled first. The rest can come later.

[Billy Whiz]

Raise the height of the goal. A century ago if a goalkeeper was 6ft he was tall. These days goalkeepers (apart from England's ) are such giants that it's very difficult to score with a high shot towards the middle of the goal. Of course, raising the height of the goal would make it correspondingly more difficult for the keeper to defend the top corners. You could compensate for this by making the goal slightly less wide. The result would be to give strikers more parts of the goal to aim for, and thus produce more goals, or at least more flexible attacking play.

[mikeg13]

- A visible clock that is stopped as per rugby, whenever there is an injury or time-wasting etc.

That was purpose of Arsenals Clock but was banned from use, Chapman was so far ahead of his time.
Change would like to see are

a clear rule on handball
time keeping taken away from Ref
players penalised when shepherding ball out of play with no attempt to bring under control
injured/ sub player leaving pitch at nearest point

[Talkie Toaster]

Bring back contested Drop Balls

[blahblah]

Hmmm from none really to, in no particular order:

Throw In's to be taken as they should be by Pro's on hideous money ie properly.
Change Kits to only be used when necessary.
Pen's\FK's to be given if an attacker is clattered after getting a shot away. It is ridiculous that they aren't given, imho.
Defenders "shielding" the ball out for a GK without touching the ball.
Players wearing gloves and short sleeves.
Ref's to be allowed to retaliate after a manger blames them for their team losing ie the useless CF missed 3 open goals; wot the wotsit was the GK doing for all 3 goals; what did he expect when none of his players crossed the halfway line for the entire match etc. Obviously the Interviewer is paid to do this, but they err more on the side of sinking to their knees and lapping it up as easy controversy for SM likes etc.
Fellaini should be at least booked for walking on the pitch as it will save time later.
2x30 mins (ish) of ball in play to replace the 45 mins each way.
Intimidation of the Refs to be automatic Yellow Cards for all involved as it doesn't trickle down to the grass roots, but gets worse.

[7lb claimer]

No short corners after 80 minutes. They must be played into the box to avoid time wasting.
When VAR comes in please be ruthless with shirt pulling offences.

[barry]

in games where penalties will decide, penalties to be taken before kick off. If a draw after 90 mins, one team know they need to score to win. will prevent dull "play for penalties" extra time or " cruel way to go out" shite that is spouted.

[Sport Billy]

As mentioned elsewhere

Defenders 'shepherding' the ball out of play for goal kicks. Anywhere else on the pitch it would be blatant obstruction and a free kick. Ridiculous

[murf]

As mentioned elsewhere

Defenders 'shepherding' the ball out of play for goal kicks. Anywhere else on the pitch it would be blatant obstruction and a free kick. Ridiculous

As with many above, this isn't a change in the rules but just how they are (incorrectly?) interpreted and implemented.

Can I add a personal bugbear - goalies crossing the 18yd line before releasing the ball to drop kick it. Clear handball offence but never ever given as a foul.

Change Kits to only be used when necessary.
Players wearing gloves and short sleeves.

Two of the best so far. PSG played in their reserve strip AT HOME against Liverpool for no obvious reason (except to flog a new reserve strip) - but at least Liverpool then played in red rather than resorting to their 3rd strip to avoid a clash with their second strip!

[blahblah]

Indeed to the GK drop kick thing and brings back numerous appeals from my youth... I think I got one one or two got somewhere.

It's nowhere near as common in the top flight nowadays though.

[jimmy ching]

Some atrocious ideas on here

Soft penalties ‘there’s contact’ I agree are bollocks. Would it be a free kick on the halfway line? No. So it’s not a pen.


Blantant dive (in conjunction with VAR) straight red.


Pretty much every foul is a yellow card. I’d do away with that. It’s possible for it to simply be a free kick.

The ref warning players that their next one is a booking? Tough shit. If it’s a card it’s a card.

The only thing worse is the theatrical totting up gesturing from the ref.


The other annoying thing is that something that would ordinarily be a booking getting allowed to ride because the player had already been booked earlier in the match. Tough. A yellow is a yellow.

Same with dissent. Get them booked or sent off. They’d soon stop.

A sin bin - could be used instead of a cheap sending off (second yellow) or the dissent indiscretions.

Another game, another example. Stevens (Sheff Utd). No doubt they'll be another 30 this afternoon.
They say there are rules and regulations, yet use them as laws.
Should they be scorned for giving mercy?
No my argument is, it's who they give mercy to.

[Billy Whiz]

Black armbands only to be worn if the club is genuinely grieving, rather than having to put an armband on to remember someone who has nothing to do with the club or someone (often in the case of foreign players) they've never even heard of. Black armbands are deployed so often that they've become a virtue-signalling gimmick, playing to sentimental crowds (and there are none more sentimental than football crowds), which I find distasteful and exploitative. I mean, do the players wear the armbands on their way home? Do normal people wear black armbands to work? It's a circus act.

[Zimmerman]

Completely agree.

This was epitomised relatively recently, i seem to think by Chelsea.

They came out in the first half without armbands.
They duly returned for the second half wearing them. C'mon, if you have to be reminded to wear them, don't bother.

yes, it was Chelsea during the 16/17 Fa Cup final

[blahblah]

They say there are rules and regulations, yet use them as laws.

For murf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn7W-QRGNX8

Ditto to the armbands and silences, which has been mentioned here before - and while I understand whee\why it has happened, it is quite ridiculous.

[RomynPG]

3 things that annoy me

1. Dynamic/scrolling pitch side ad hoardings are my pet peeve - I find them extremely annoying.
2. The ad laden background they put post-match interviewees in front of - even lugging one onto the pitch if needed.
3. Mascot kids/player escorts - bah

[blahblah]

Hmm to escorts: cycling, F1, Darts etc have had trouble with that?