Football Reforms

[When In Rome]

From 30-minute halves to dribbling straight from a free-kick, proposals have been put forward to change the game of football as we know it. The International Football Association Board (Ifab) has several ideas to alter the laws of the game - supposedly to make it more attractive.

Football reforms: Pat Nevin's verdict on which of them would work

An hour of play - stats show Ifab have got it right
Ifab proposal: Two periods of 30 minutes with the clock stopped whenever the ball goes out of play.
Stats from Opta show that, last season, the Premier League team whose games saw the most actual game time were Arsenal, with an average of 58.10 minutes. Crystal Palace had the least, with 52.33 minutes.

What do you think? Too westernised? Too much stop/start or could 60-minute matches be the saviour of our game?

 

[Abbeygoo]

The stop / start of the clock is a great idea. We would see more football and all of the time wasting tactics would disappear. The play acting, keeper taking ages from a goal kick, throw ins delayed and so on.

It is really noticeable in premier league games and this would be a good step forward.

 

[TayWax]

I agree. Although I'm not sure about 60 minutes for the match. I'd feel like I was getting short changed a bit. Would prefer it to be 80. I know they reckon it is only in play for about 60 minutes but we all want to see more football right?

 

[Greg Hook]

Football is in dire need of reforms. From cheating to time wasting, it's now getting beyond a joke compared to other sports.

I mentioned ages ago that I was very much in favour of stopping the clock when the ball went out of play, when a foul was committed or just waiting for play to resume.

Simply introducing this rule would instantly remove all that nonsense. It just goes to show when the stats are looked at just how much time wasting and ball not in play action actually goes on. With all the outcry that introducing video replays and appeals would slow the game down and you actually have over 30 minutes in a game when nothing happens. You really couldn't make it up.

It's also funny when you hear all the crying about these professional footballers having to play all these 90 minute matches close together when they are only 60 minutes at best.

Bring it on I say!

 

[Abbeygoo]

I agree. Although I'm not sure about 60 minutes for the match. I'd feel like I was getting short changed a bit. Would prefer it to be 80. I know they reckon it is only in play for about 60 minutes but we all want to see more football right?

You would be getting more than you are now. Average time is about 55 minutes I think, Palace average 52 which isn't a surprise with Big sam in charge. I think it's a good move.

I've lost count, pun intended, of the amount of times the officials allow time wasting and then don't add enough on at the end. I think it's a great move.

 

[When In Rome]

I agree on the stop/start issue, so many games we see teams fannying about with subs at the death just to waste time - 90 minutes has never meant 90 minutes, maybe a shorter game with more emphasis on cutting out all the time-wasting will be for the better. Or is 60 mins too short, like TayWax said, 80 minutes, same as the rugby? 75 mins then. Done.

 

[pandemic]

I don't like the idea of major changes like 30min halves. Anything that makes refereeing easier is fine as long as it doesn't impact game flow. Refereeing is so inconsistent now, I wonder if making refereeing audits (I presume this happens behind the scenes) publicly available would help.

 

[jenam93]

Thought for a long time that start/stop clock for in/out of play is the best way. No faffing about with time wasting, stupid subs etc. And the clock should be visible to the whole stadium so everyone knows what's going on.

Dribbling from a free kick though, that's daft.

 

[SenseField]

Simple one for me, when the ball goes out of play/there is a stoppage due to injuries, stop the clock.

Stops all the added time nonsense, just follow the American model in terms of managing the clock.

 

[karlak]

Simple one for me, when the ball goes out of play/there is a stoppage due to injuries, stop the clock.

Stops all the added time nonsense, just follow the American model in terms of managing the clock.

Yep, also what is obvious is that if the Ref does add say 6 minutes added time, all that happens is that a team wastes time withing those 6 minutes, but those wasted minutes never get added on... Happens all the time.

Ofcourse a huge reason why this will probably not happen or be resolved is due to TV schedules (for live games), they wont want games running on for 10,20 or even 30 minutes longer than scedhuled. Also, there will be set times for end of game Policing, transport of away fans away from the ground and public transport time tables. Lots of these things are set around the normal predicted end of a game.

 

[When In Rome]

Simple one for me, when the ball goes out of play/there is a stoppage due to injuries, stop the clock.

Although doesn't the ref already do that, hence deciding the amount of extra time or is that calculated by the assistants?

 

[Abbeygoo]

@karlak - I know what you're saying mate but there is an element of the unknown anyway with live games. The positive impact on the game would be huge in my opinion as week after week I watch various tactics to run the clock down. I must watch goal keepers changing sides, kicking the post, wiping their gloves, having a drink more than anything else.

It would be a real boost and I think in general, the games would all last about the same time.

 

[durera]

The 60 minute thing makes me laugh at the stupidity of the board.

Problem: time wasting in football means we get, on average, only 60 minutes play

Solution: start off the game wih only 60 minutes to begin with, and rely on the referees to stop the clock for every single second of time wasting.

Best case scenario: we lose the same amount of football time, nothing gained

What really happens:

- new forms of time wasting evolve
- teams still waste time as it breaks up the play/rhythm of the opposition
- the amount of time wasted is more than the amount of time clock-stopped
- the existing ones that would not be clock-stoppable (e.g. Running the ball into the corner)

These all add up and mean that we would get even less footall than we ever did imo.

We don't need to stop the clock, the existing laws already protect against time wasting, the refs just need to have the balls to do what they are supposed to already be doing and add 10 minutes onto every match involving a Jose Mourinho/Tony Pulis style teams.

 

[SenseField]

Although doesn't the ref already do that, hence deciding the amount of extra time or is that calculated by the assistants?

To a degree, but we often see goals being scored after the allotted amount of injury time. It's scandalous.

Have it controlled by a timekeeper on the side of the pitch, like American Football/Basketball and you avoid so many issues. Just stop the clock, it's simple.

 

[When In Rome]

To a degree, but we often see goals being scored after the allotted amount of injury time. It's scandalous.

Agree on that. Nothing worse when you're a victim of it.

 

[karlak]

@karlak - I know what you're saying mate but there is an element of the unknown anyway with live games. The positive impact on the game would be huge in my opinion as week after week I watch various tactics to run the clock down. I must watch goal keepers changing sides, kicking the post, wiping their gloves, having a drink more than anything else.

It would be a real boost and I think in general, the games would all last about the same time.

Agree completely, just pointing out like the trial video ref has shown, it won't work as well as we all think it should. Too may external pressures and influences. For it work properly, would genuinely need the clock to stop, but then are we going to see almost unofficial time-outs by the losing team, to catch breath, reorganise, or receive instructions from the touch-line. There will always be an angle and way of cheating unfortunately.

The Keeper feigning an injury is also a classic, as they know full well that a) they wont have to go off for treatment and b) they wont start the game with him off the pitch.

 

[Abbeygoo]

Loads of ways that the time wasting comes in - I bet you've seen them as much as I have

Keeper catching an easy cross but then falling on the floor and taking ages to get up (6 secs?)
Going to take a throw in and then dropping the ball on the floor to let your mate do it
Taking a free kick from the wrong place on purpose / or when the ball is moving
Pretending not to know where kick is to be taken from

And so on and so on ..... got to say CL / European football is worse.

 

[millerlfc]

I'm actually really looking forward to the new penalty shoot-out format for this season (AB BA AB instead of AB AB AB). Although I anticipate commentators and the general public being thoroughly confused and/or outraged by this minor change.