New World Cup Rules Proposed

Soccer, Futbol, Football, or whatever you want to call the sport, needs to make some changes, especially in World Cup action.

First, no more ties in Group Play.  Just penalty kicks, that’s it.  I like overtime in the knockout rounds, but it seems just too much for the players.  One thing FIFA ought to look at is how many games are actually decided in overtime. So far in the knockout rounds, two games were tied after 30 minutes of overtime only to be decided by penalty kicks.  This extra time seemed like a waste of time.

Second, I don’t like the fact that if a player gets two yellow cards, or a red, he misses the next match.  FIFA did change the rules for the 2010 World Cup so that a yellow isn’t carried over to the semis.  If the players reach the semi finals, the card slate is wiped clean, but a player could still miss the finals if given a red card or two yellows in the game.  A red, I can understand, but two yellows and you miss the finals – that’s harsh.

Third, I’m tired of the whining, the play acting and the fake injuries.  The referees need to issue more yellows for stalling tactics.  And I don’t think there should be any added time.  It seems the referees just add on 3 minutes to the end no matter.  They should simply stop the clock if there is an injury or some sort of delay.

Fourth, I know this sounds a little crazy, but I’d like to see extra points awarded for difficult goals – a long kick like Ghana’s goal in the Uruguay match should have been worth 2 points.   Headers, maybe 1.5.  A scissors kick, 3 points. A free kick and penalty kick, just 1, because hey, it’s free.  Like a free throw.

Fifth, FIFA should adopt instant replay technology so that a close goal call can be reviewed.  No team should be eliminated due to an officiating error.