How can we improve the game?

May 7th, 2006 | By: Afshin Afshar | 3 Comments »

What do you think about making the goals bigger, using video technology during games, or even using sin bins (same as a penalty box in hockey)?

This is an interesting article by Sean Ingle in The Guardian. I do not necessarily agree with everything he says or suggest, but some of what he says is very plausible.

For one, I am sick and tired of diving and shirt-pulling. What I dislike even more is seeing a player dive to the ground, roll in agony as if he has been beaten by a Rattle Snake, get carried off on a stretcher, only to jump off of it and get right back into the game seconds later.

One thing I’d like to see is a mandatory two to five minute recovery time. If the player falls and can not get up to continue the game, then he should stay off for a few minutes to he can recover from whatever knock he took.

In Asia, many countries have made an art of falling down. I am getting sick of watching Team Melli opponents use this tactic over and over. So let’s keep the violator out for a few minutes every time he fakes, and his teammates will kick his butt the next time he tries to pull that shank off!

Tags: Iran, Team Melli

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Comments

By Juan | May 7th, 2006 at 11:51 pm

I’m sorry, but I disagree with this.

You have to understand that the game isn’t just simply the game. It’s politics, psychological torture, love, and destruction all in one setting. What makes the game, and especially the professional game beautiful is not knowing what will happen next. Some games play out like an opera. Two players kick and tug at each other all game, and then the climax where one dives and the other gets a red. That is the kind of thing that gets people talking. Beautiful soccer is great, but the fun that goes along with it is ALSO part of the game. I think that if more ref’s, bigger goals or anything more like that was added it would take away from what the game really is. It’s the basis and basic of human instinct and competition. 11 on 11 face to face, with only three men to call the shots. It’s how it is, it’s how it’s always been, it’s how it should be.

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By kapcro | May 8th, 2006 at 7:33 am

The beauty of the game lies in team play, great passing, playmaking, individual efforts and runs at the goal with great shots that end up as goals. Dives, shirt grabbing and fake dramatic injury ploys are cheap stunts that take away from the actual play of the game. Hockey went through the same debate since injuries and cheap play was losing audience. Changes were made that make for a better flow of the game, more scoring and ratings are back up. Bring football into the 21st century by using new technology if it can assist the referees. A game is exciting when you have a flow of end to end action with as little stoppage to play as possible. Bad calls only lead to a negative experience for fans. A clean game is what has made the sport the beautiful game, anything that assists in attaining that should be adopted. In Hockey the goals were widened and it opened the game up, I beieve a trial attempt will show whether its a viable option for football. Leaving the game as is only invites more questionable tactics by less than skillful players or those players that seek victory by any means instead of through talented play.

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By Afshin Afshar | May 8th, 2006 at 8:59 am

I agree with Kapcro on this. I want to see rules that help the game flow and allow players to show their true skills.

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