A Better World Cup Mousetrap

[refnrev]

Originally Posted by Corndog89

I'm not a soccer player, coach, official, or dedicated fan. I don't dislike soccer, just never got into it very much. I have played and coached football (American), basketball, baseball, softball, rugby, and numerous individual sports and I recently completed my 6th year as a high school basketball official. Having said all this, I love watching the soccer World Cup. The excitment, intensiity, national hysteria, etc are just compelling.

But apparently like everyone else, I hate the penalty kick process to decide winners...just hate it! And I think I have a decent solution for it. From what I can tell, THE most tense, intense, dramatic moments in soccer matches are corner kicks and/or direct kicks (correct term?) near the opponents goal. After 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime, eliminate penalty kicks and instead give each team 5 corner kicks or direct kicks (their choice) with an extra attacker (in place of the keeper). The defensive team cannot score on the opponents attempts, so once they control the ball or kick it past the dividing line (or some other termination point...again, I'm not soccer-smart), the next attempt would begin. If still tied after 5 attempts, then just like penalty kicks match up until one team scores and the other doesn't. This way soccer is still being played, the players don't have to continue running all over the field, and 120 minutes of hard play isn't devalued by fooling keepers who have little chance to start with.

Thoughts???

I have other ideas on substitution (liberalize it...allows players to stay fresh and makes coaches actually have to coach), offsides (what a maddeningly frustrating rule), and diving (#^%#@*&!).

Thanks for letting me vent...

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Corn Dog,
You asked for thoughts....
Here are mine.
1. Unlike your statement, not EVERYONE dislikes penalty kicks. I like them. Having officiated games that have gone to PK's you will realize that by the end of the 2nd overtime both teams and the officaiting crew are so tired that they can barely move. IMHO there is a huge amount of drama in the conclusion of a match that ends that way!
2. As for your later post -- comparing offsides to a "fast break" isn't quite accurate. It's not a small cylinder on a 94' court -- it's a 24' wide goal with a huge field. Without it a a player could just sit and "cherry pick" and the keeper would be helpless to do anything about it. The offside rule requires much anticipation and strategy on both team's parts.
3. I hope you'll keep watching and learning the game. It's a tremendous sport to play, coach, or officiate.

[Corndog89]

Originally Posted by refnrev

______________________________________________
Corn Dog,
You asked for thoughts....
Here are mine.
1. Unlike your statement, not EVERYONE dislikes penalty kicks. I like them. Having officiated games that have gone to PK's you will realize that by the end of the 2nd overtime both teams and the officaiting crew are so tired that they can barely move. IMHO there is a huge amount of drama in the conclusion of a match that ends that way!
2. As for your later post -- comparing offsides to a "fast break" isn't quite accurate. It's not a small cylinder on a 94' court -- it's a 24' wide goal with a huge field. Without it a a player could just sit and "cherry pick" and the keeper would be helpless to do anything about it. The offside rule requires much anticipation and strategy on both team's parts.
3. I hope you'll keep watching and learning the game. It's a tremendous sport to play, coach, or officiate.

Refnrev

Excellent response...I appreciate the differing opinion on PKs, but I'm not sure I'll ever like a game that is allowed to end without the game actually being played. Of course, you could respond that a basketball game could end on a foul shot after time has expired, sooooo.....

Do you ever foresee big-time soccer having more liberalized substitution rules? It makes sense to me that if players were allowed opportunity to rest during matches they would be fresher later in the match and then we wouldn't have the extreme fatigue argument. Plus, it would give more good players greater opportunity to play (Brazil??) and allow (force?) coaches to coach. I played, coached, and refereed rugby which has similar substitution rules (which I also would like to see liberalized); once the match begins, coaches don't get to do much actual coaching. But then come to think of it, maybe that's not such a bad idea

I am watching soccer more the last few years; I would love to go to Europe to see some professional and local soccer matches. Any tips on what to watch for during matches? Thanks...