How Do We Fix Soccer?

Now, I would apologize for writing about soccer, but I'm thoroughly convinced that this 2010 World Cup is important. I'd say it's even the most important World Cup of the last 20 years. Why? Well, I'd venture a lot of it is because of that whole global financial poopstorm thingy. Sure, the economic forecast in the summer of 2010 may be getting sunnier -- but overall -- I reckon that a lot of people (wherever they are) have seen some better times. And many countries probably remember feeling a little more national/governmental pride than they do right now. Except for you, North Korea, we realize life couldn't be better! Thanks be to the Supreme Leader!

The point is that, seeing as nearly 80% of the global population is expected to watch soccerball this summer, I think it's safe to say our global population really likes soccer. Ha -- that and the fact that many of us could use a good distraction from the asshattery of our portfolios ... and the cutbacks. Oh, the cutbacks. We need a good underdog to cheer for besides our money. During the Great Depression, the U.S. needed a horse named Seabiscuit to root for and project itself into (yes, it's embarrassing that this happened with a horse, I know, but they didn't have the WNBA back then). As a result, there are probably lot of countries putting more stock in their national soccer teams than ever before, even if Landycakes is all you've got.

So, for what it's worth, I've come down with a little soccer fever, and despite the advancement of modern medical science, the only cure appears to be more ESPN3. But, the problem is that my yearning for national morale/pride, and my enjoyment of soccer, is being ruined by incapable officiating. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about. So, consider what's at stake, what I want to know is, how can we persuade soccer -- and baseball, among others -- to take up video review? How can we fix it so that it makes sense -- from a business perspective -- for these sports to make sure they're getting the f***ing calls right?

It can't be that hard to make one of the four officials into a video reviewer -- they're all connected by headsets already. Soccer (and baseball) are already slow, so I doubt it would make them slow enough that people would stop watching. Because, as is probably the case with most, if soccer stays like this, once the World Cup ends, I'll go back to not giving two sh*ts. So how do we maintain interest in soccer in the U.S. and fix this nagging problem?

*Maybe motivation should come from something like, if FIFA fails to rectify this problem, I will follow around the top officials for a year and just when they are trying to become intimate with their significant other, are just laying down for a nap, or are putting their kids to bed ... that's when I -- and a large group of soccer hooligans -- will bust in with an epic chorus of vuvuzelas.

Expensive, yes ... but worth it.

 

So to summarise: Football is a global phenomenon, the WC is the greatest sporting event in the world. But football needs fixing for the US audience.

A little arrogant, don't you think?

Firstly, to suggest it's a slow game is wrong. I assume you didn't watch the Chile vs. Switzerland match where excess officiating made the match stop-start.

Secondly, FIFA ruled on additional refereeing techniques this year. They decided the controversy of refereeing decisions and the human element were an integral part of the game. I.e. that part of the reason fans and participants are so impassioned about the game is the subjective nature of rule enforcement.

Thirdly, the refereeing at this WC has been of a high quality, with the exception of only 2 or 3 matches so far. And ironically it's the referees from countries with leagues of a low standard (e.g. the US) that are usually guilty of poor officiating.

 
Best Response
PorcineAviation:

Secondly, FIFA ruled on additional refereeing techniques this year. They decided the controversy of refereeing decisions and the human element were an integral part of the game. I.e. that part of the reason fans and participants are so impassioned about the game is the subjective nature of rule enforcement.

See, this kills me. Understandably, the MLB has resisted adding video review for balls and strikes and this will probably never change. They leave the strike zone to the subjective enforcement of the home plate ump. But that ump is sitting right behind the batter -- and what's more there are so many pitches over the course of a game, it evens out even if the ump makes a couple of wrong calls. But in soccer, there just aren't as many goals, or scoring chances. There's only one ref on the pitch, and it's impossible for him to cover the whole field. I'm not saying every play has to be reviewable, but plays that effect the outcome of the game decidedly (like a goal-scoring play) or a player's fate in a tournament (a red card for a handball that may never have actually happened) -- it just doesn't make any sense. Baseball added review for homeruns, and they may soon add reviews for baserunning outs because of what happened to Armando Galarraga's perfect game.

I don't think the game should be fixed just so American fans can enjoy it, I, too, hate the entitlement of Americans. BUT, that doesn't mean that Americans aren't right occasionally. The diving and flailing and over-dramatization of soccer players seems to be a greater part of the European game, and as a fan of the game, I think it sucks and does often succeed in giving soccer a bad reputation. Soccer players are some of the fittest and toughest athletes, so why not act like it and get on with the game?

 

I'm not sure the US will ever be that interested in soccer. It already has three major sports (baseball, basketball, football) that keep its population well entertained. It's also not surprising or a coincidence these three major sports don't have conflicting championship times. Heck, if I see another sport becoming the "4th" sport it will be hockey- well before soccer.

Baseball is an old American past-time. Football has its "man" feel to it, as well as its tradition. Basketball will always be popular because of its high profile superstars like Lebron, Kobe, Shaq running the streets. I'm sorry to say (yes I acknowledge I have never played soccer) but after watching the world cup thus far, soccer is kind of "pansy-ish" and thus will never earn a place into the hearts of the US population.

 

What makes you think the rest of the world give a shit if the US is interested in soccer?

-------------------------------------------------------- "I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcom
 

it's exactly what eating926 says.. already to much major sports. besides that, soccer is always seen as a girls sport. compared to football i completely understand that but still.. on a high level it can be rough. so how do you fix soccer? it's already fixed but not for the US market and it probably never will.

 

Doesn't half the world recognise baseball, basketball and american football has its equivalent in other parts of the world? Well, they're cricket (no, not the insect with that irritating squeaking noise; but the game dominated by the Aussies/English/South Africans/Pakistan/India/Bangladesh/West Indies/Sri Lanka), netball and rugby respectively.

It's crazy to describe a game played with helmets and pads (a la going to war) as football when the sport uses just about every other part of the body more than the foot.

Anyway, back to football (the real thing, not the poor imitation known to a vast majority of Americans as football). The referees for the Chile-Switzerland and Germany-Serbia games have got to be the worst of the tournament so far and certain elements of that are inexcusable. Much as I disagree with FIFA's view of allowing the human element (or spontaneous errors) to persist, I think living in the 21st Century would mean we should well take a cue or two from other sports - rugby, in particular, are streets ahead of football in terms of time management (no time wasting theatrics) and using video replays. However, for football to advance anywhere close to that level, I believe the first step involves booting a certain Mr Blatter from a certain organisation known as FIFA...

 

As an American who grew up playing soccer all year round I have a great amount of respect for those who play at an international level. The game I played and loved growing up, where fouls were rare and contact a given, is sadly absent. I can't stand watching grown men flop to the group every time they draw the slightest contact in the hopes of drawing a foul. American's are raised to respect the guy who plays hard even when hurt and doesn't bitch to the ref over every little contact. The sport has a lot of potential but I can't help but be disgusted at what I would consider to be the cheap and cowardly tactic of falling to the ground like you got shot every time things get a little physical.

 

video review would do the opposite of what you want.

If Maradonna's "hand of god" goal had been under video review, and they didn't count it, nobody would be talking about it 24 years later.

So if you don't want to go back to life not giving a shit about soccer for the rest of the year, get into the drama of it, and don't try to get rid of the drama through indisputable video review. Try following some club teams throughout the year.

 

I understand your concern. I assume that most readers of this site are not huge soccer fans. Let me tell you mistakes happened all the time in any sport. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. I am very disappointed that the last goal for us was disallowed, but we cannot do anything about. It's gone and we need to focus on Algeria.

For example 5 correct goals in straight games were disallowed for Italy in WC 2002 and a faulty red card was given for the best Italian player back then Totti.

Welcome to the world of soccer.

 
nas2008:
I understand your concern. I assume that most readers of this site are not huge soccer fans. Let me tell you mistakes happened all the time in any sport. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. I am very disappointed that the last goal for us was disallowed, but we cannot do anything about. It's gone and we need to focus on Algeria.

For example 5 correct goals in straight games were disallowed for Italy in WC 2002 and a faulty red card was given for the best Italian player back then Totti.

Welcome to the world of soccer.

...and thats a good thing?

 
excelsior:
nas2008:
I understand your concern. I assume that most readers of this site are not huge soccer fans. Let me tell you mistakes happened all the time in any sport. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. I am very disappointed that the last goal for us was disallowed, but we cannot do anything about. It's gone and we need to focus on Algeria.

For example 5 correct goals in straight games were disallowed for Italy in WC 2002 and a faulty red card was given for the best Italian player back then Totti.

Welcome to the world of soccer.

...and thats a good thing?

Yes. You can blame the ref's when your team loses

 

Enough of this soccer is not manly crap. Injuries in soccer are horrific and the flopping is on par with the NBA. Baseball is 100 times less of a sport than soccer, to the point where you can play two full games in one day. Out of the big three, that leaves us with american football which is basically a much less manly version of rugby. American sports are for pussies (Though I love them as much as the next guy).

 

ok a couple comments defending hockey here...

there is no debate about the 4th sport in the United States, it is hockey. And that's fine, I am happy about that. I am glad it is not number one so we don't have ESPN shoving it down our throats like they do with the NBA.

Also, hockey games don't end in ties anymore. Regular season goes to 4-on-4 OT then shootout. Playoffs go continuous OT till winner.

Soccer is not popular in the U.S. for two reasons: it is too slow to watch and advertisers can't make as much money as in other sports with advertising and so on. Yes people will argue baseball is slow...but baseball was also invented in this country and is therefore given a pass (don't question the logic). You can also make a lot of money advertising through TV ads every 3 outs. What time is there for advertising on TV during soccer. Beginning, halftime, and end. That's it.

That said, soccer is fun to watch sometimes.

Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules.
 

Lack of advertising potential can't be the main reason why soccer is not big in the US. It's not like the rest of the world is communist and has state run TV. If the people want it, the games will be shown. As others have said, we probably don't have much room for another sport after football/basketball/baseball.

As far as the physical aspects of the sport, soccer probably requires the highest level of fitness and stamina, considering in basketball and football players get many breaks.

I just hope US qualifies to the knockout stage tomorrow, and there is at least a slight increase in the number of soccer fans in the US.

 

Sorry Doc Ev...been watching WC's since 1982 and this one has by far been THE BEST OFFICIATED ONE.

I know the U.S. getting hosed got to people, but if I start going down the list: from the Germany/Austria fix in 82, Maradona's "Hand of God" in 86, the collective refereeing shitstorm to help the Germans win at home in 90, etc...we'd be here 'til tomorrow.

The truth is soccer is the world's game and America has always been it own world, which the rest of the world hates but aspires to be like. Trying to blend into the parameters of others can only weaken us in the long run.

Soccer will never be America's game, why not just be real Americans and enjoy today's soccer day for what means most to us...the French failing...again:)

 
Midas Mulligan Magoo:
Sorry Doc Ev...been watching WC's since 1982 and this one has by far been THE BEST OFFICIATED ONE.

I know the U.S. getting hosed got to people, but if I start going down the list: from the Germany/Austria fix in 82, Maradona's "Hand of God" in 86, the collective refereeing shitstorm to help the Germans win at home in 90, etc...we'd be here 'til tomorrow.

The truth is soccer is the world's game and America has always been it own world, which the rest of the world hates but aspires to be like. Trying to blend into the parameters of others can only weaken us in the long run.

Soccer will never be America's game, why not just be real Americans and enjoy today's soccer day for what means most to us...the French failing...again:)

You are kidding right?

This has been one of the slowest world cups ever. Too many crap teams slowing the game down

Although the knock-out stages should be good as its only the good teams left now

 

Video replay? Why not just add 3 hours worth of commercials to it as well? You don't like draws? Why not vote who wins like NCAA college football does? I don't want the beautiful game of proper football Americanized to meet the needs of the Joe Recliner MLB fans out there. Prediction and spoiler alert: USA wins 2-nil to advance!

 

Take away stoppage time and put in an official timekeeper. This way no one can fake injuries to kill time.

also, video replays.

The us hs 5% of the worlds population, and a rich one. That's why fifa should be concerned about us.

 
fhurricane:
Take away stoppage time and put in an official timekeeper. This way no one can fake injuries to kill time.

also, video replays.

The us hs 5% of the worlds population, and a rich one. That's why fifa should be concerned about us.

People will fake injuries for much longer if there's a definitive end to the game. The ref is the ultimate timekeeper not only to adjust for idiots and their injuries, but for a much larger reason. It was decided long ago that a game should end AFTER a legitimate attack on goal has been made (if one is being developed), rather than stopping a play dead at exactly 90:00.

If you institute video replays (essentially timeouts), in addition to official timekeeping, then stoppage time is gone. If stoppage time is gone, the game ends abruptly in the middle of a play. Soccer doesn't need that, considering how difficult scoring is in competitive matches.

 
ThaVanBurenBoyz:
fhurricane:
Take away stoppage time and put in an official timekeeper. This way no one can fake injuries to kill time.

also, video replays.

The us hs 5% of the worlds population, and a rich one. That's why fifa should be concerned about us.

People will fake injuries for much longer if there's a definitive end to the game. The ref is the ultimate timekeeper not only to adjust for idiots and their injuries, but for a much larger reason. It was decided long ago that a game should end AFTER a legitimate attack on goal has been made (if one is being developed), rather than stopping a play dead at exactly 90:00.

If you institute video replays (essentially timeouts), in addition to official timekeeping, then stoppage time is gone. If stoppage time is gone, the game ends abruptly in the middle of a play. Soccer doesn't need that, considering how difficult scoring is in competitive matches.

It doesn't matter how long idiots fake injuries if the time is stopped. They can fake for 4-10 minutes. If the clock is stopped it won't matter.

Also, it would be very easy to integrate this last attack rule. After the team with the ball at 90:00 loses possession to the other team, the game is over, with a max addon of about 2:00 so assholes don't hold the ball.

 

The problem with soccer is that one team is ALWAYS shut out. In other sports, when teams are evenly matched, there is sometimes a high-scoring affair or perhaps a defensive struggle. But when two excellent teams square off in soccer, I will bet dollars to donuts that the score will be 0-0. This is mainly because the rules of soccer are stupid.

 
loki276:
Lucky US Slovenia should have qualified. We are fucked now Argentina in quarter finals. Damn US getting a goal at 90 mins

Argentina is on the other side of the bracket. We will most likely get Serbia in the second round, then winner of Uruguay/SKorea in the quarters.

 
Scrambles:
loki276:
Lucky US Slovenia should have qualified. We are fucked now Argentina in quarter finals. Damn US getting a goal at 90 mins

Argentina is on the other side of the bracket. We will most likely get Serbia in the second round, then winner of Uruguay/SKorea in the quarters.

Again talking about England

 

^ agree with the above rule change. Also, offsides needs to be inoperative once some threshold on the field has ben crossed. Offsides is there to eliminate long range cherry picking, not to be an excuse for the refs to blow a call and disallow a goal (like today's USA-Algeria match). A play that close to the goal should be considered onside from the get go, no matter where the goalie or defenders are.

 

Suggesting how you can fix soccer implies that there is something inherently wrong with the game when in fact there is not. The problem with all of the negative comments above regarding soccer is that theyve been made by people who have never played soccer at a competitive level. Anyone who has played soccer would readily agree that it is incredibly physical, exciting to play/watch and well designed (from a rules perspective).

USA already competes and has shown that it can excel at the highest level (ranked top 15) and it is only a matter of time before they become a world power-house. I mean how can they not: 300+ million people, soccer-obsessed illegal immigrants swarming the streets and solid nationwide youth development programs.

Go USA!!!

 
junkbondswap:
Suggesting how you can fix soccer implies that there is something inherently wrong with the game when in fact there is not. The problem with all of the negative comments above regarding soccer is that theyve been made by people who have never played soccer at a competitive level. Anyone who has played soccer would readily agree that it is incredibly physical, exciting to play/watch and well designed (from a rules perspective).

USA already competes and has shown that it can excel at the highest level (ranked top 15) and it is only a matter of time before they become a world power-house. I mean how can they not: 300+ million people, soccer-obsessed illegal immigrants swarming the streets and solid nationwide youth development programs.

Go USA!!!

This is the problem with soccer people. They think the rules of soccer were read aloud to Moses by God himself. And any criticism of them is an affront to almighty soccer. Sorry, but no. It took baseball about 25 years to hit on the exact number of balls to equal walk. That's why I'm not standing here after a 32 inning 1-0 game telling you that if you don't like 8 balls makes a walk, then "you don't understand baseball." The rules of soccer were created to regulate game play. They currently do a very crappy job of that as there is no scoring, a full quarter of games end in ties, they decide the championship on penalty kicks, more than half of all games are shutouts, only one ref for 48 people on the field (meaning dramatic flailing is a must to catch the refs eye and get a call), the fact that it's virtually impossible to score a goal but virtually impossible to miss a penalty kick...i could go on, but I think you get my drift.

And enough with the "it's fun to play" crap. Every sport is fun to play. Badminton is fun to play. That doesn't mean its entertaining to watch. A lot of theater people LOVE being actors but that doesn't mean the play is any good.

Any game where two evenly matched teams are almost guaranteed to end the game 0-0 is not "well designed from a rules perspective."

 
jhoratio:
junkbondswap:
Suggesting how you can fix soccer implies that there is something inherently wrong with the game when in fact there is not. The problem with all of the negative comments above regarding soccer is that theyve been made by people who have never played soccer at a competitive level. Anyone who has played soccer would readily agree that it is incredibly physical, exciting to play/watch and well designed (from a rules perspective).

USA already competes and has shown that it can excel at the highest level (ranked top 15) and it is only a matter of time before they become a world power-house. I mean how can they not: 300+ million people, soccer-obsessed illegal immigrants swarming the streets and solid nationwide youth development programs.

Go USA!!!

This is the problem with soccer people. They think the rules of soccer were read aloud to Moses by God himself. And any criticism of them is an affront to almighty soccer. Sorry, but no. It took baseball about 25 years to hit on the exact number of balls to equal walk. That's why I'm not standing here after a 32 inning 1-0 game telling you that if you don't like 8 balls makes a walk, then "you don't understand baseball." The rules of soccer were created to regulate game play. They currently do a very crappy job of that as there is no scoring, a full quarter of games end in ties, they decide the championship on penalty kicks, more than half of all games are shutouts, only one ref for 48 people on the field (meaning dramatic flailing is a must to catch the refs eye and get a call), the fact that it's virtually impossible to score a goal but virtually impossible to miss a penalty kick...i could go on, but I think you get my drift.

And enough with the "it's fun to play" crap. Every sport is fun to play. Badminton is fun to play. That doesn't mean its entertaining to watch. A lot of theater people LOVE being actors but that doesn't mean the play is any good.

Any game where two evenly matched teams are almost guaranteed to end the game 0-0 is not "well designed from a rules perspective."

Well tbh the rest of world doesn't seem to care and FA, SFA, FAW, IFA, FIFA dont really care about a few million viewers in the US for rest of the world who are happy with the rules

 
loki276:
Fifa can't change the rules on its own for that it needs the support of the 4 football association based in UK and they will never change the rules for the US
Good thing the UK is so much opposed to video replay, makes the game that much more interesting, doesn't it?

The Wembley goal was at least close, but today you could easily see without slow motion that the ball was far behind the line.

 

For the record, plenty of people outside the U.S. disagree with many of the rules. I'm from South America and I hate the offside rule, personally. I also think they should incorporate live reviews like in the NFL... it can't be that hard to implement during a goal that is cancelled because the player was offsides, for example. All it would take is for the ref to run to the sideline and watch the replay, then make a decision.

Wall Street leaders now understand that they made a mistake, one born of their innocent and trusting nature. They trusted ordinary Americans to behave more responsibly than they themselves ever would, and these ordinary Americans betrayed their trust.
 
Beef:
For the record, plenty of people outside the U.S. disagree with many of the rules.
Agree. I am from Western Europe and don't like many rules as well.

On the other hand, even though I do not like the rules, they make soccer into a game where a bad team can win against a much better team. One wrong or dubious decision can make all the difference. Also luck plays a huge role, since one goal can decide a gema. In contrast to than, in Basketball it is virtually impossible for the worse team to win, especially if there is a best of 7 series or somehting like this. Maybe that's also a reason why there are no salary caps in soccer. Even with the best players in the world it is still possible to loose the game.

Just for clarification: That was just an observation, but I do not approve of the fact that bad teams can win through luck or wrong decisions much more easily than in other sports, especially the popular American sports.

 
Beef:
For the record, plenty of people outside the U.S. disagree with many of the rules. I'm from South America and I hate the offside rule, personally. I also think they should incorporate live reviews like in the NFL... it can't be that hard to implement during a goal that is cancelled because the player was offsides, for example. All it would take is for the ref to run to the sideline and watch the replay, then make a decision.
Fifa still needs the support of uk to change rules and no one here is bothered about the off-side rule. And tbh it is one of the most important rules in football and isn't going anytime soon until fans in europe and especially uk want it
 

LANDYCAKES IN EXTRA TIME!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

ALGERIA JUST GOT BRO ICED

I VUVUZELA'ED MY NEIGHBORHOOD THIS MORNING I WAS SO EXCITED, SLAMMED 5 DIET COKES WOOO

GHANA, YOU'RE NEXT. STEP FORWARD AND RECEIVE A THOROUGH ROGERING

wait, what happened? i think i just blacked out. is there any hockey on?

 

Jhoratio, your comments only further confirm my point that you cant fully appreciate the game unless you've played at a high level. Soccer is a game of patience and chance opportunities akin to chess and poker that can never be fully appreciated by "instant gratification" people who prefer to watch other high scoring fast-paced sports. I enjoy all sports but you can see where my passion lies.

Sure, soccer rules aren't perfect but there is a reason that soccer is the world's most popular sport. There is more than enough officiating in soccer. The head ref covers as much ground as a center-mid and the linesmen assist with fouls, handballs and offsides in their respective halves of the field.

If soccer was to implement instant reply it should be similar to throwing the red flag in football or challenges in tennis (maybe 1 per half). I also wouldnt be against "power-plays" (similar to a blue card in indoor soccer) where a player getting a yellow comes off for ten minutes. This would lead to more attack and additional chances. I would also consider making the goals 1-2 ft wider on each and maybe a .5 ft higher.

It is also very rare that two evenly matched sides end in a 0 - 0 tie in a elimination / meaningful match.

Dont fix what isnt broken

 

Couple of very good and pretty poor comments in this thread.

  1. Soccer not being manly / physical

Clearly a very non-informed comment. Rugby, US football are more physical sports, that is for sure. BUT the big difference is that you KNOW that you will get contact. In soccer, although there is a physical aspect to the game, it's a more skill-based than rugby or football; your body doesn't expect to get charged down / tackled / beaten up, and that's what makes it so much more painful. In rugby or football your body prepares itself for the contact, making it less painful. In soccer you don't do that. You don't see a tackle by behind arriving and destroying your ankle. You don't expect a guy to jump with his elbow in your face. You don't expect a guy to stick his studs in your knee (this btw can be more painful than most rugby injuries). This is what makes soccer physical and sometimes very painful.

But clearly it is much more fun to act all manly and tough and say that soccer is for girls / gays / wimps. Play the game at a decent level first and then let's talk about it.

  1. Changing the rules

I think globally the rules are fine. There are rules that need to be changed though, but they do not ruin the nature of the game. I admit though that I took most of the rules for granted and never actually challenged them.

A poster made a comment about the duality of scoring goals vs penalty kicks (the former being hard, the latter being easy), I think he makes a very valid point. After thinking about it I am all for suppressing penalty kicks (too many controversial calls inside the box) and replacing them by free kicks where the fouls occurred, even 1 yard away from the goal line. This would be very controversial and I don't expect FIFA to implement it, but I think it would help referees having the guts of giving free kicks for shirt pulling on corners, etc. Could be an interesting experiment. This is however not my number 1 priority.

I would also change the time-keeping rules - stop play whenever the ball goes out / there is a free kick etc. This would cut out the super frustrating time-wasting tactics. This is probably my biggest grief. The stats show that players actually only really play 25 - 28 minutes a half, effectively halving the length of a game.

Third and final rule change I would propose: more clarity on the hand balls. In the same hand ball situation, one ref would give a foul, another wouldn't. It's absurd. Please FIFA make this rule more clear.

But as you can see, these rule changes (except the penalty kick one) will not make the game fundamentally different. So I still think that the fundamental rules of the game are solid.

Lat point about this: soccer is not a bad game in terms of ref influence - not half as much as rugby for example, where the ref plays a crucial role.

  1. Refereeing and FIFA admin absurdity

There is a lot to say about this. The refereeing in this world cup has been atrocious at best. Simulations, absurd yellow and red cards, ridiculous offside calls, the list goes on and on. There is a huge case to be made about video refereeing. Video calls would NOT destroy the flow of the game like FIFA claims if it is done intelligently, i.e. only some calls are reviewable. Why don't we start with ultra-simple stuff like - did the ball cross the line??

I at at loss when I see Platini (who I like for his efforts to clean up the sport in terms of abuse of money and help the smaller clubs) ferociously opposed to video. I simply do not understand it. Neither do I understand those who claim that the subjective refereeing is part of the beauty of the game - what a load of crap. The referee is not supposed to be the centre of attention, quite the contrary. If you don't even know what the referee looks like or don't hear his name on the TV, that means that he did an outstanding job. The refs job is to make sure that the game is played according to the rules; therefore why not fucking help him with the video? It makes no sense to me (and I don't get why baseball fans are not even more outraged).

Let the players decide of the outcome of a game, not the referee.

  1. Simulation

Probably the biggest plague of the game. There are many ways to deal with this, and it doesn't even have to implicate the video. For example, let's say you see Ronaldo dive like a swan to get a free kick. Let the FIFA admin review it after the game, and if there is clearly NO contact (there often isn't), suspend the guy for 2 games. Same thing with pseudo-punches, shoves where the guy looks like he was bitten by a snake, etc. In a World Cup, that is colossal. Let the FIFA admin do some interpreting of their own for once. It's too easy to put it all on the refs and take no responsibility yourself.

  1. Change the offside rule

The offside rule is probably one of the most crucial rules of soccer, and it makes perfect sense. Yes it is tough to referee it, but the consequence of suppressing it would be guys standing in front of the goal waiting for a long pass, which would a total absurdity and ruin the creative effort needed to score a goal. I assumed everybody who followed / played soccer understood this.

If there is one rule that should never be put into question, it is this one.

  1. Soccer being crap because it can end up in a tie

Seriously? Not even going to bother addressing that

  1. Need to adapt soccer for US fans

Euh, no.

Sorry for the confusing writing, I hope I got my main points through.

 
Audio:
The offside rule is probably one of the most crucial rules of soccer, and it makes perfect sense. Yes it is tough to referee it, but the consequence of suppressing it would be guys standing in front of the goal waiting for a long pass, which would a total absurdity and ruin the creative effort needed to score a goal. I assumed everybody who followed / played soccer understood this.

If there is one rule that should never be put into question, it is this one.

If this is really what would happen, then why don't they try that in basketball? Answer: because that isn't what would happen.

 
jhoratio:
Audio:
The offside rule is probably one of the most crucial rules of soccer, and it makes perfect sense. Yes it is tough to referee it, but the consequence of suppressing it would be guys standing in front of the goal waiting for a long pass, which would a total absurdity and ruin the creative effort needed to score a goal. I assumed everybody who followed / played soccer understood this.

If there is one rule that should never be put into question, it is this one.

If this is really what would happen, then why don't they try that in basketball? Answer: because that isn't what would happen.

Do you actually play bball and / or soccer? They don't do it in bball because playing 4 against 5 is a huge advantage, and everybody has to defend or attack. Letting a guy up front would not be worth it. Plus the bball court is much smaller, i.e. a point guard could cover the player left up front more easily.

In soccer this is not the case. Strikers work defensively a bit - they hassle the defenders when they are on the ball, but not too much. When the ball is in their defensive end they usually don't work that much. Suppressing the off-side rule would only allow them to goal-hang, and of course they would do it, since they don't really have to defend. This would stretch the space between the lines and ultimately deform the game completely, and there is no need for that.

So to answer your question: yes that's exactly what would happen.

 

[quote=adapt or die]classic soccer flop... at least there isn't any crying in American sports

http://deadspin.com/5572072/today-in-karma-italian-player-viciously-flo…] At least they play sports with other countries rather than with just themselves and than claim that they are the best in the entire world for sports. And than play a sport that unlike the rest of the world who play it wearing almost nothing to defend playing it with massive amounts of protection and than have the cheek to call the world's most popular sport a girl's game just shows how arrogant america is. Still I guess it is to be expected from a country which has a relatively short history and needs something to be proud of

 

[quote=adapt or die]classic soccer flop... at least there isn't any crying in American sports

http://deadspin.com/5572072/today-in-karma-italian-player-viciously-flo…]

Yeah, basketball players never flop, good point.

But I admit that flopping is a major plague of the game. Only way to get rid of it is by suspending the players for several games once the replay shows it was a flop. That should do it - but FIFA doesn't have the balls to do it, much easier to let the refs take the blame.

 

I think that the best decision that the MLS ever made was to make soccer into a spring sport in the United States. It can't compete with football (American rules) and basketball. It CAN compete with pre-World Series baseball and that odd time between basketball and football season where the only thing really on ESPN to watch is Worlds Strongest Man and professional poker.

 

During the recent autopsy for the Bengals' Chris Henry, doctors determined that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Soccer players don't come close to the physical punishment of NFL players, even a glamour role like Wide Receiver.

Take the best US athletes: Lebron, Allen Iverson, Troy Polamalu, Randy Moss, etc.

If they played soccer, the World Cup trophy would permanently reside in the USA.

********************************* “The American father is never seen in London. He passes his life entirely in Wall Street and communicates with his family once a month by means of a telegram in cipher.” - Oscar Wilde
 

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********************************* “The American father is never seen in London. He passes his life entirely in Wall Street and communicates with his family once a month by means of a telegram in cipher.” - Oscar Wilde

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