Not that the beautiful game needs fixing, but there are a few small tweaks that could enhance the entertainment value. Here are seven new rules that would increase the viewing experience.
Win Penalty-Take It
No more penalty specialists. If you win the penalty, then you must take it. In addition, the defending team chooses the shooter if the player who won the penalty kick can not take the shot. Imagine the scenes if a last-minute penalty foul results in an injury, and the opposing team designates the opposing goalkeeper to step up. Beyond the enthralling chaos that change would create, it would also do wonders in settling goal-scoring debates. There would be no more stat padding from penalty merchants who had no hand in winning the foul.
No More modified Run-ups on Penalty Kicks
No more stutter steps, hops, or whatever else players use to disrupt the timing of the keeper. Call me a boomer, but I despise seeing penalty kicks where the taker can do all kinds of nonsense to get the keeper to commit early. You are already getting a free shot from 12 yards out where the keeper has to keep a foot on the line. It is time to give some power back to the keepers in a situation that is already heavily favoring the shooter.
No Penalty Kicks for Inconsequential Hand Balls
For my last rule concerning penalty kicks, I propose no more penalty kicks for inconsequential handballs. VAR can step in to rule a shot/cross was veering off target, so a penalty kick cannot be awarded. Let us bring some ethics and common sense back into the sport.
Any Body Part Makes you Onside
If any part of a player is onside, then the player is onside. It can be a foot, a hand, whatever. The goal counts as long as a body part level with a defender. The primary benefit is quicker VAR goal checks since the margin for error is much smaller. A secondary benefit is how it will lead to more goals, and more goals tend to equate to higher entertainment value, especially for casual fans.
30 Seconds for Corner Kicks
It is time to stop the modern obsession with elaborate corner-kick routines that take endless time off the clock. No one watches a game looking to see minutes wasted on corner kicks and set pieces. And I say this as an Arsenal fan who has seen his team set premier league records for corner kick goals while growing increasingly frustrated at how long each routine takes off the clock. To stop that, each team has 30 seconds from when the ball goes out of play to when they must take their attempt. Going over that time frame results in an automatic goal kick for the opposing team. There will be an exception for late-game situations where a losing team is looking for one final opportunity.
Domestic Cap to Ensure Rotation
This rule is specific to the Big Five leagues to protect players from the burnout they and their coaches have increasingly complained about over the last 18 months. Any team that finished in the top six the previous year is subject to a domestic limit where players who have competed in over 75% of league minutes in the current season are ineligible from playing in a domestic competition. For example, if Manchester City is in an FA Cup 4th round game, Phil Foden would be ineligible to compete if he has played in 75% of all available premier league minutes until that point.
This rule will force teams to rotate their rosters more appropriately while simultaneously creating avenues for exciting academy prospects to get a look at the first team. A bonus benefit is how this would give smaller clubs a better chance of winning the Cup competition.
Seasonal Transfer Limit
Speaking of clubs and protecting the best interest of the fans, I propose a seasonal transfer limit where teams can only purchase five players. Bring back the days when coaches actually had to develop talent, and the fanbase could get attached to a player before a shiny new toy came in. That increased stability will make the game more fun to watch.
What do you think, would these changes enhance the beautiful game or slow it down? What rule changes would you look to add?
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