Sports – The Den

Mar 10, 2013

Sports – The Den

Those of you who take a few minutes (or hours) out of your week to watch sports have probably had made the statement “If I had my say, I would….”.  I know that I do.  It does not matter if it is Football, Soccer, Baseball, Baseball, whatever.  As fans, we all have things that we would like to see made changed in the world of sports.

This post could be good good size novel if I was to give you my thoughts on all sports, so I won’t, at least not in this post.  So I will dedicate this one to one of the most frustrating, and to some, boring sports on the planet.  SOCCER!

I will admit that I really enjoy watching soccer.  I played when I was younger and I was no good at it (even after 6 years of it).  Back then, it was merrily a kids game.  It was not until much later that I began to appreciate the strategy of the game.  When playing as a kid, it was one ball and 22 kids, 20 who were within 5 feet of the ball at all times.  In reality, the game is about one ball, 22 players and roughly 8500 square yards of field.  That last little bit is such an important factor in the game.

OK, I am not going to type out reasons for anyone to like the sport of soccer.  But, (here it is, you have been waiting for it to come) if I was in charge of the game, these are some rules I would put into place.  Only for the good of the game.

Please note, these are not in order of priority:

1. I call this the back field rule:  A team has 45 seconds to get the ball across mid field or they forfeit the ball in their end.  There is nothing more frustrating than to watch a team kick a ball back and forth between midfielders, defenders and the keeper for two minutes.  ADVANCE THE BALL!  Play offense!  Attack.  To me, 45 seconds is plenty of time to advance the ball down the field.  This would make the game much more exciting to watch.
2. On the same note, the offensive team cannot pass the ball back across the mid field line when in the opponents zone.  We all have seen it, a team moves into the opponents zone, pass it around, and then kick it back to a defender on their own side of the pitch.  If you kick the ball back into your own zone, your team cannot touch the ball until an opponent does.
3. Offsides.  I truly hate this rule, but do have some understanding as to why it exists.  What I would install is a line on the pitch, say 20 yards from the goal where if the ball is in this area, the offsides rule is out of play.  This would make defenses actually play defense and stop playing to put a player in an offsides position.
4. Injuries.  This is probably the one sole thing that has turned off more people to the sport than any other.  Players have mastered the art of “Diving”.  They actually practice their art to perfect it.  And it stinks.  First, if there is a “so called foul” on the play, the player fouled has to take the kick.  If the player fouled has to leave the flied of play to a “so called” injury, then both the injured player and the player who caused the foul must leave the field of play and neither can return until the next stoppage of play.  Now, if there is a card on the play, the carded player has to leave the field of play for a minimum of 2 minutes, or until the next time the ball is called dead, which ever is greater.  Meaning, if the 2 minutes is up and the ball is still in play, the penalized player must wait on the sideline.
5. The rule above also applies for penalty kicks.  Nothing is more frustrating than a player getting a “so called” foul in the box and then another player comes in to take the penalty kick.  Two exceptions would be if the fouled player is injured and has to leave the field of play (see rule above).  And since the clock is not running on the penal kick, the injured player cannot return until the ball is put back into play and then there is a stoppage of play.  Or, if the penalty is caused by a handball in the box.  Then the closest player to the ball is awarded the penalty kick. The player who caused the handball would receive a yellow card and have to sit out 2 minutes.
6. Penalty Kicks at the end of regulation seem to me such an unfair way to decide a victor, but I understand the necessity or a game may never end.  5 players from each team shall be chosen, however, one of those players most be your keeper and he has to go in the first 3 of the rotation.  I would also have the penalty kicks to start at mid field and the player gets a set time to dribble towards the goal and shoot.  Give keepers a chance.

These rules would increase the pace of play and the excitement of the game. We do not need instant replay in soccer.  And by penalizing players for trying to get fouls called by removing them from the field or putting them in the position of having to put the ball in play, would be a good eye opening and hopefully game changing play.

I most definitely welcome all comments.  Please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post.