How would YOU 'fix' Football?

[Nobody]

Inspired by all the FFP and Blue Card chatter going on lately, just thought it would be interesting to hear how us, the fans, want the game to change. So say you're voted president of FIFA or whatever, what do you do to fix the best sport in the world?

Be as creative or as restrictive as you want, some might want to keep it realistic while others want to make changes that obviously could never happen. 

[Holmesy]

17 minutes ago, Nobody said:

Inspired by all the FFP and Blue Card chatter going on lately, just thought it would be interesting to hear how us, the fans, want the game to change. So say you're voted president of FIFA or whatever, what do you do to fix the best sport in the world?

Be as creative or as restrictive as you want, some might want to keep it realistic while others want to make changes that obviously could never happen. 

I genuinely think you could fix it in an hour.

1. If there’s contact anywhere on the pitch, and you choose to go to ground rather than the contact taking you to ground, it’s a dive and a booking.

 

2. Handball rule goes back to deliberate handball only. None of this silhouette shit and players playing with their hands behind their backs.  They have fundamentally changed the handball rule and it doesn’t work.

 

3. Immediate yellow card for any ref intimidation

 

4. If we have to keep VAR, use it for offsides only. Give them 15 seconds to make a decision and if they can’t, the benefit of the doubt goes to the attacker like it always used to

 

5. Mandatory half time strippers 

 

 

Edited February 14 by Holmesy

[AyeDubbleYoo]

On board for them all I reckon. 

 

I have mentioned before about making the rule that a penalty can't be awarded if the attacker hasn't tried to continue play. 

 

Also I think a penalty is too harsh a punishment in such a low-scoring game, might be good to introduce something more like a penalty corner instead. A free goal for a very minor infringement is too much in this sport. 

[FLUMPO235]

I would scrap VAR, but use goal line tech and have it work on the ball being out of play too. 
 

Scrap replays for all competitions, must be decided in the night. 
 

stop players surrounding the ref or being rude in any way to the ref. Just go on a red card bonanza and fuck everyone over for the first few games. 
 

controversial, I would scrap 3pm blackout and make all games available live on a pay per view or season ticket direct from the club. But any revenue from advertising would be taxed by the FA/pl and that would be filtered down the pyramid, maybe done by league position. Clubs shouldn’t be worse off than with the current sky deal. Someone else would have to work out the details. 
 

would it impact attendances, it might, but I think the majority attend for the experience, plenty can’t for medical or just can’t get tickets. I’m not convinced it would see attendances plummet. 
 

ffp is too complex for me, so will stay out of that. 
 

Oh, any fans throwing anything at players or onto the pitch banned for life. And banned from the pay per view system above for 10 years. 

[Holmesy]

6 minutes ago, FLUMPO235 said:

I would scrap VAR, but use goal line tech and have it work on the ball being out of play too. 
 

Scrap replays for all competitions, must be decided in the night. 
 

stop players surrounding the ref or being rude in any way to the ref. Just go on a red card bonanza and fuck everyone over for the first few games. 
 

controversial, I would scrap 3pm blackout and make all games available live on a pay per view or season ticket direct from the club. But any revenue from advertising would be taxed by the FA/pl and that would be filtered down the pyramid, maybe done by league position. Clubs shouldn’t be worse off than with the current sky deal. Someone else would have to work out the details. 
 

would it impact attendances, it might, but I think the majority attend for the experience, plenty can’t for medical or just can’t get tickets. I’m not convinced it would see attendances plummet. 
 

ffp is too complex for me, so will stay out of that. 
 

Oh, any fans throwing anything at players or onto the pitch banned for life. And banned from the pay per view system above for 10 years. 

Really like the 3pm PPV idea! 
And the banning for chucking stuff.

Both top ideas!

[Colos Short and Curlies]

Jumpers for goal posts

First man back

Last goal wins

I'm taking my ball home

 

 

But seriously, I'd simplify the rules. Go back to it being the same game at all levels.

Take money out of the game.

 

less seriously

Make players less 'perfect' - more Ginola and less Ronaldo. No idea how I'd do that.

 

Basically take it back to the mid to late 90s

 

100% deadly serious

Remove the stats and analysis, who gives a fig about xG, xA, XXXX. Little White thing in the big white thing is the only thing that matters

 

I'm basically an old man ranting - and I'm only 43

[Colos Short and Curlies]

59 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

On board for them all I reckon. 

 

I have mentioned before about making the rule that a penalty can't be awarded if the attacker hasn't tried to continue play. 

 

Also I think a penalty is too harsh a punishment in such a low-scoring game, might be good to introduce something more like a penalty corner instead. A free goal for a very minor infringement is too much in this sport. 

 

But a corner is too low a punishment for stopping an almost certain goal

[Erikse]

1 hour ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

On board for them all I reckon. 

 

I have mentioned before about making the rule that a penalty can't be awarded if the attacker hasn't tried to continue play. 

 

Also I think a penalty is too harsh a punishment in such a low-scoring game, might be good to introduce something more like a penalty corner instead. A free goal for a very minor infringement is too much in this sport. 

 

Crazy idea - but what if they made the penalty area smaller? That way you get a free kick closer to goal in what used to be a penalty offence. It would change a lot for the goalkeepers aswell though, like goalkick (players are closer) and a smaller area for the GK to use his hands.

 

 

Edited February 15 by Erikse

[Pata]

17 minutes ago, Colos Short and Curlies said:

 

But a corner is too low a punishment for stopping an almost certain goal

 

Maybe 5-10% (at most) of the fouls that lead to a penalty are stopping an almost certain goal. Sport that has games regularly end 0-0 or 1-1 should not have a penalty kick in the rules in its current form, makes it more about hunting hands and contacts in the box than anything else.

 

 

Edited February 15 by Pata

[Pata]

There's almost no situation for the attacker where getting a small contact on your leg and going down isn't the best chance to score. Needless to say how much that encourages diving. Make the box a lot smaller, take penalties from 20-25 yards away (and reintroduce blasties) or give indirect freekicks. I don't know what the best solution is but gifting 0.80xG chance for the ball being kicked to someones's hand or getting your foot ahead of the defender's leg to buy a 'foul' is ruining the game for me.

 

Yanks have the money and parity/equality side solved, shame it's very unlikely to ever come to European football. 

[Superior Acuña]

By far the worst thing about the game for me is VAR, I would completely scrap it and encourage a view that the referee and their mistakes are part of the game. I would consider implementing automated offside calls if they're truly instantaneous.

 

I would have another crack at the handball rule. Penalties only for truly deliberate handballs, fuck all that 'unnatural stuff'. What is deliberate is at the referee's discretion, but it truly means deliberate. Consider in-direct free kicks for non-deliberate ones.

 

Re-assert that for a pen to be given contact is not enough, the contact has to have caused them to fall. Contact then dive is not a pen. Referee's call. There'll be mistakes, I don't mind, prefer that.

 

Perhaps most radical thing I'd consider is awarding a pen for denying a goalscoring opportunity regardless of whether it took place in the box. E.g. think of when Wilson got taken out by the keeper at Brighton a couple of seasons ago. (He got sent off but there were a few mins left so it was totally worth it).

 

 

Edited February 15 by Superior Acuña

[Erikse]

48 minutes ago, Superior Acuña said:

By far the worst thing about the game for me is VAR, I would completely scrap it and encourage a view that the referee and their mistakes are part of the game. I would consider implementing automated offside calls if they're truly instantaneous.

 

I would have another crack at the handball rule. Penalties only for truly deliberate handballs, fuck all that 'unnatural stuff'. What is deliberate is at the referee's discretion, but it truly means deliberate. Consider in-direct free kicks for non-deliberate ones.

 

Re-assert that for a pen to be given contact is not enough, the contact has to have caused them to fall. Contact then dive is not a pen. Referee's call. There'll be mistakes, I don't mind, prefer that.

 

Perhaps most radical thing I'd consider is awarding a pen for denying a goalscoring opportunity regardless of whether it took place in the box. E.g. think of when Wilson got taken out by the keeper at Brighton a couple of seasons ago. (He got sent off but there were a few mins left so it was totally worth it).

 

 

 

 

Initially he got a yellow for diving, didn't he? As if he would dive there..

[Dr Jinx]

There’s always been corruption, always been a fixed deck in terms of keeping certain clubs in the picture. Always decisions that always seem to go for certain clubs too.

 

Despite all this, it’s still the best game in the world.

 

VAR could be changed though. Looking for an excuse not to award a goal is bullshit.

 

Linesmen need to step up and make those calls. Allowing play to continue well after an obvious offside is bullshit.. there’s going to be a bad injury some day that could/should have been prevented.

 

Have certain situations where VAR is to be used. Foul play to be precise.

 

It wouldn’t be used to check every little thing though.. a team getting 3 challenges to use VAR each match. If they feel like the wrong call was made they can request a review based on what they think happened.. that way a question being asked would focus the VAR to review something specific and would eliminate any confusion between the ref and the VAR in looking at the wrong thing and deciding “nothing to see here” etc

 

[Disco]

• TV moneys primary purpose is to fund grassroots football and child development 
• Disband the PL, EFL and Vanarama groups of clubs so it’s all one and so remaining TV money received is spread way more equally down the pyramid
• Fuck VAR off
• Kasabian HT stream music to be played on loop in PL stadia for nostalgia 
• Terracing behind both goals, one for home, one for away.
• Decrease the CL, increase the EL and ECL and spread money accordingly. Straight knockout. Seeding only applicable in first rounds.
• Team lower in the pyramid is always at home in the League Cup
• 3 up, 3 down to the conference 
• Handball rule to go back to ref judging deliberate
• Fuck PL anthem/handshake music off as well as handshakes pregame 
• Time added on to revert back to whatever it was ten years ago
• Players giving their shirts to kids with signs to be banned for the next game

[Exiled in Texas]

Advance the free kick 10 yards closer to goal (non offending team discretion) for back chat, failure to retreat. Repeat as needed.

 

Return to Penalty kick taker having to make a continuous motion - no stutter. You never see stutter in an open play 1:1 so don’t see why it’s allowed in PK. Or allow GK to move as soon as runup starts.

 

Would trial blue cards… and/or would trial automatic 5/10 min Sin bin for all physical fouls. Need something punishing to offender but less drastic/severe than Red Card. Might even add a limit (5 fouls=ejection etc). 
 

(And yes, I am fully aware that I’m replicating rugby and ice hockey rules… they just seem to work.

 

 

 

 

[Wolfcastle]

Lot of shared ideas but there was a blueprint sweet spot in the 90s as a rough guide to aim for for me post level being onside, backpass rule, professional foul. Pre the death of 3pm kick offs, CL saturation, dominance, atmosphere an acceptable compromise between old school problems and new school sanitisation, four fairly even leagues (Germany/Italy/Spain), three UEFA comps in perfect working order with formats not advertising as a b and c CL. World Cups that had a flavour of the country they were in not generic FIFA WC xxxx tm. Etc etc.

 

Basically undo most of the changes that have happened since 

[Kanji]

I’ll have a go:

 

1. Wenger rule offside, there is no single advantage of a guys shoulder or knee cap being marginally ahead and therefore at an advantage

2. Pen only for deliberate denial of a legit goal scoring chance: ie handball when shot taken has real chance of going in, trip or tackle of a player when he’s 1 v 1 or getting past goalie etc. 

3. All other fouls in box are indirect kicks

4. No foul or penalty given for diving, contact needs to be real and players selling fouls of any type deserves a yellow

5.  Sin bin blue cards scrapped immediately

6. Ref decisions for cards or fouls are announced to the stadium + on tv like rugby

7. VAR is used but fully transparent while live. 
 

 

8. Champions league is smaller

9. Uefa Cup returns and is bigger (no more Europa league)

10. Rebrand conference league badk to cup competition 

 

11. Bin FFP/PSR and create a proper inflation adjusted, moving target wage cap based on the league overall health and revenue (ala NFL)

12. In order to protect insolvency and overspending, club owners need to provide escrow cash reserves each season that should cover unforeseen or help fund working capital. 
13. Bin the rules re related party sponsors and fair market value nonsense and let it all trade and be free market

14. Make every club pay a % of revenues from sponsors into a football fund to support grassroots and women’s games 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 15 by Kanji

[TheBrownBottle]

1) FFP revised to allow investor input to cover losses proportional to turnover - with an inverse proportionality applied e.g. a club with £100m income might be allowed 60% losses on top covered by an investor; a club with £200m might be allowed 25% covered, etc, until you get to say £500m at which losses have to be kept to 5%.  Something along those lines.  This would allow the smaller clubs to receive greater potential investment to catch up, while stopping mega rich clubs being further ahead via sugar daddies

 

2) re-absorb English football’s top division into the rest of the football league, and enforce a more egalitarian sharing of TV revenues throughout the pyramid.  This would also mean renaming the ‘Premier League’ as ‘Division One’.  Which is what it fucking is. 

 

3) the FA Cup changed as follows: FA Cup Final to be played on the final weekend of the season, at 3pm, with six-hour build-up on the BBC including the club’s breakfast at the team hotels, aerial shots of the team coaches heading to Wembley, and all pundits being contractually obliged to say it’s the biggest game of the English football calendar.  Semi finals to be played at any ground but Wembley.  All rounds to have replays, including the final (I’ll stop short at having replays until there is a winner).  FA Cup 3rd round draw to take place on a Monday teatime.  All footage of Radford’s equaliser to be destroyed in the archives, and YouTube clips to be blocked.  Oh, and get that fucking sponsorship off the name of the cup, you soulless bastards.

 

4) restoration of the Cup Winners’ Cup

5) abolition of the ‘Champions League’, to be replaced with the old European Cup, full knockouts for champions only.  I don’t care if this means that the champions of Bulgaria or Latvia can get through to a QF, and what that does to TV revenue.  The ‘Champions League’ format is a right load of toss

 

6) Europa League and Conference league remain as is, just with better sides now in them

 

7) abolition of VAR.  Goal line technology is the only potential technology, provided it is cheap enough to be available at Sunday league level

 

8) international friendlies scrapped, and qualifiers too.  WC every two years, Euros/AFCON/Copa America etc every two years.  All nations qualify, two group stages then straight knockouts.  If we must have international football, let’s not break up actual domestic seasons to do it

 

9) I quite like ‘blue cards / sin bins’, though for dissent / time wasting only

 

10) explore option of replacing League Cups in England & Scotland with a British League Cup (pending UEFA acceptance), using one of England’s allocated European spots for qualification (so that Scotland doesn’t miss out)

 

 

Edited February 15 by TheBrownBottle

[Optimistic Nut]

Get rid of FFP. If they want to bring in salary caps, spending limits, etc then that's fair enough, but all clubs should have the potential to spend the same as Man Utd, Liverpool, etc. 

 

Wenger Law. The whole point of the offside law was to stop goal-hanging. Someone leaning beyond a defender and being pulled up for offside has never sat right with me. There needs to be a line somewhere though, so clear daylight makes it better. This would also make it easier for VAR (you're not drawing lines and guessing if a shoulder/elbow/armpit is further forward than a defenders backside). It also makes it easier to roll out the same interpretation further down the ladder where VAR isn't in place. 

 

I don't think there's much wrong with European competition, could potentially maybe take out the top 5 countries from the UEFA co-efficient from the Conference League, though? Would be good seeing clubs from just beneath the elite in Portugal, Holland, Belgium, Scotland, etc who don't normally have any chance of qualifying for the CL or even making a dent in the Europa, having a good chance of winning continental silverware. Reward the winner with a CL place in the Group Stage potentially, so they have a chance to grow with the additional income. 

 

 

Edited February 15 by Optimistic Nut

[Stifler]

I like the 3pm blackout being lifted, however I’d still be tempted by having all Premier League games on Sundays in anyway.

 

I like the idea of club/league chartered transport for away fans. Rent the busses/trains directly, give the fans it at cost price, make sure they get home etc.

 

I like the idea that was mooted a few years ago where bigger clubs could own say a 10 stake in a local lesser club. This would encourage infrastructure development, shared academies etc. Imagine Newcastle owning 10% of Gateshead and Gateshead having a brilliant stadium, that can also be used for NUFC’s academy and women’s teams? Newcastle academy players on loan there. This would also coincide with the National League being adopted by the EFL, and the National League, and League Two being split along the North/South divide on an equal level.

 

Lots of good ideas in here, and lots of ideas that I have always had that I’ll have to throw in when I get a better chance to type them up.

[Nucasol]

1 minute ago, Stifler said:

I like the 3pm blackout being lifted, however I’d still be tempted by having all Premier League games on Sundays in anyway.

Session/hangover says a hard no to that.

[Stifler]

The FA went half arsed with developing St George's Park. 25 years behind France developing regional academies so they could win the World Cup, and England half arse it so a select few kids from schools in Derbyshire could have a day trip there.

I’d do what France did, develop regional or even county academies. Complete with a school for kids, both male & female so both sides of the game are developed. Most kids may never make it at the top level, but so long as their attitude is right and they want to continue with football, give them the coaching to do so. They may not be Premier League players, but they might bring up the standard of League 1, League 2, or even non-league football.

At the same time, some kids might not be good at playing, but they might have the right attributes to become a referee, linesman, or a coach/manager.

Why keep letting club academies bring in, and kick out players all the time?

 

On top of this, make coaching courses and referee’s courses all free for people. Open the academy facilities up to others outside of the normal day.

Football can bring people together, it can give people purpose, it can make them healthier, it can put a smile on their face, utilise it.

[Nucasol]

3 minutes ago, Stifler said:

The FA went half arsed with developing St George's Park. 25 years behind France developing regional academies so they could win the World Cup, and England half arse it so a select few kids from schools in Derbyshire could have a day trip there.

England in a nutshell, full stop, not just football. We’re so shortsighted in terms of our approach to infrastructure that it’s painful to witness.

[Kid Icarus]

I would simply destroy capitalism and the insane infinite growth death cult train we're all strapped to. 

 

Not even joking, everything awful about the game leads back to it and the only time anything awful is averted is when it turns out to not be profitable.

 

Basically, like when they attempted to go to the super league, we need to ensure that the changes that they're making remain a PR disaster and therefore affect their bottom line/aren't profitable.

 

 

Edited February 15 by Kid Icarus

[r0cafella]

2 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

I would simply destroy capitalism and the insane infinite growth death cult train we're all strapped to. 

 

Not even joking, everything awful about the game leads back to it and the only time anything awful is averted is when it turns out to not be profitable.

It’s the world’s most potent virus. Literally grows stronger the longer it persists despite mountains of evidence about how disastrous it actually is.