would you prefer it if the rules of soccer were actually enforced, or is it better as is?

[shadow_operative 15932]

keeper holds onto the ball for more than 6 seconds- yellow

your team commits a foul and then one of your players picks up the ball/impedes a quick free kick- yellow

the referee calls a foul and is surrounded by 7 screaming players- yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow 

center backs and strikers getting absolutely mauled on corners and set pieces- penalty

a "soft" foul in the box that gets called 100% of the time when it happens in the midfield- penalty 

whereas baseball has a bunch of unwritten rules that they want everyone to follow, soccer has a whole bunch of written rules that they have no interest in enforcing. would the sport be improved by enforcing these rules, or is it fine the way it is? 

[Jerry Callo 8694]

It's fine the way it is.  While I don't always agree with it, I like the ref having discretion on fouls and how to progress the game.  It often amazes me how well the refs can make calls real time. 

[TheBryMan81 2508]

Personally, I was a fan of how they utilized stoppage time in the World Cup and wish it was utilized more.

Goal celebration? Sure, celebrate as long as you'd like, have fun. Add it to stoppage time.

Routine tackle, but you go down screaming and take your time moving your ankle before you get back up and limp for two seconds before running full speed? Sure, add it to stoppage time.

I loved the 9 minutes of stoppage time at the end of games. It invited chaos at the end of games, and I love chaos.

[yoladu 4090]

[Pato del Muerto 52484]

None of those things listed in the OP sound like they’d add to the enjoyment of the game. 
 

like said above, things that waste time should be added to stoppage. Worked great in the biggest tournament in the world. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

1 hour ago, TheBryMan81 said:

Personally, I was a fan of how they utilized stoppage time in the World Cup and wish it was utilized more.

Goal celebration? Sure, celebrate as long as you'd like, have fun. Add it to stoppage time.

Routine tackle, but you go down screaming and take your time moving your ankle before you get back up and limp for two seconds before running full speed? Sure, add it to stoppage time.

I loved the 9 minutes of stoppage time at the end of games. It invited chaos at the end of games, and I love chaos.

agreed. if the FA and/or UEFA started enforcing this we would drastically reduce the amount of this shameless play acting overnight. same with forcing players who need medical attention to stay off the pitch for 3-5 minutes.

[WBT 20559]

It's fine how it is but I think I'd prefer most of the rules listed to be enforced, especially yellows for impeding free kicks and calling fouls in the box against the defense the same as you would anywhere else on the field.  If defenders had to play more honestly in the box, especially on corners, it would open up a lot more goal scoring opportunities.

Edited January 10, 2023 by WBT

[ztejas 43411]

Which interpretation gives us the most Derka meltdowns in the EPL thread? 

That's my vote. 

[ClubWhatever 12120]

They need to take one player from each team off the field.  

[DCLonghorn 244]

Man I'm torn. Lifelong soccer player and huge fan. That side of me is fine with the way it is. I roll my eyes at the ways the players stall and play head games, but it's part of the game. Add keepers falling to the ground in the last five minutes to the list. 

But I've spent the adult years with kids playing rugby. The culture in rugby is the ref is the fucking law. Not to be talked back to or messed with in any way. If kids don't refer to them as sir or ma'am, the coach will pull you. The ref will cancel a match if the coaches chirp at them. It's really impressive and permeates the whole sport in a very cool way. An extremely violent sport has a total air of respect and love of the sport. They also have an additional tool...the sin bin. Similar to hockey penalty for a power play. 

Americans seem to have more respect for soccer refs that the Latin countries/EU. I think some of these should be automatic. Touch the ref...auto yellow. Impede the refs path...auto yellow. Any player other than captain or the one whistled complaining to the ref...auto yellow. Basically the rules with respect to the ref. Most of the rest, within the game play are too subjective. Diving and stalling is just too hard to quantify. You know it when you see it. Every 30 seconds cleats scrape a foot or shin that is only seen by slow mo replay because the pros are so good at disguising it/doing it out of ref view. Former players know that every single one of those are on purpose. The only way to police it is more VAR and more of the play eligible for VAR. I don't want that at all. Slows down the perpetually moving beautiful game.

Maybe more after the fact review and cards could help, but that a huge leap for the game. 

I realize at the highest levels almost everyone prefers the ref to be a non factor and to keep the game flowing...never have the ref be the story line. And I agree. But I'm for some rules with auto response, so it's less subjective and less drama filled, with respect to the ref. 

 

 

 

[Bottlecap 1523]

Do I want soccer to be over-reffed like college basketball? hell fuckin no.

[Firemans4Horn 18034]

The injury time in the WC was stupid. First halves where nothing of note happen don’t need 5 minutes of injury time.
 

The 2020-21 EPL season that relied on VAR 15 times a game to check if a players nipple or shoelace was .0001mm offsides was practically unwatchable. Glad they scaled it way back. 

[Helobious 9459]

Not a soccer watcher but watched some of World Cup. I was shocked they were just letting players scuff up the ground on purpose right before an opposing team’s free kick or whatever they were called. Bush league as hell. Imagine people doing that before a golf putt or field goal. 
 

Also get rid of stoppage time and just stop the damn clock when play stops. It’s not “90 minutes of non stop action” when people are repeatedly chucking the ball into the stands or writhing in fake pain on the ground for minutes on end to waste time throughout the game. Stopping the clock will end that & actually create more action imo.

[Surly Bevo 24908]

Holy shit. I actually agree with Helo on something.

Love soccer. Never made sense that the ref can’t signal to stop the clock instead of “presumably” making a note on his watch.

Can still be at his discretion in most instances (ie not stop for ball out of bounds and throw in or for routine penalty/free kick etc but yea guy on the ground writing or playacting in pain stop that shit. Goal scored and celebration ensues…stop that shit).

[hayden_horn 11362]

1 hour ago, Helobious said:

Not a soccer watcher but watched some of World Cup. I was shocked they were just letting players scuff up the ground on purpose right before an opposing team’s free kick or whatever they were called. Bush league as hell. Imagine people doing that before a golf putt or field goal. 
 

Also get rid of stoppage time and just stop the damn clock when play stops. It’s not “90 minutes of non stop action” when people are repeatedly chucking the ball into the stands or writhing in fake pain on the ground for minutes on end to waste time throughout the game. Stopping the clock will end that & actually create more action imo.

i actually loved the world cup stoppage time focus. it gets too bush league toward the end, but i guess that can be fart of the tension and fun.

i am a soccer fan and there's shit that drives me around the bend with the sport. stoppage time being one. 

a big one for me is respect for the ref. there is none. it's our job as fans to disrespect the ref. it's the captain's job to argue with the ref. all it would take is once or twice for a ref to do a yellow bonanza and the ref riots would stop. 

kicking the ball away from an opponent makes me laugh but it's such a terrible look. but allowing players to fucking scuff the spot is beyond the pale. that's bush league shit.

i also used to be team running clock, but i'm not any longer. similar for basketball. i hate when the game completely (not subtly shitfs tactically, but fundamentally) changes at the end. basketball is barely the same fucking sport in a close game down the stretch. intentional fouls should still be called intentional, no?

[A-Tex Devil 2446]

I always wonder why refs don’t lose it more when ganged up on by players.  I mean outside Latam/Eastern Europe lower divisions are the players really going to do anything?

I think refs are judged by their ability to calmly walk away when ganged up on. My inclination would be to go MLB ump on them and say “get the fuck out of my face or get carded.”   FIFA/UEFA don’t want that though. 
 

Frankly the weird gamesmanship in  soccer always puzzles me. Hard foul.  Ref starts walking toward it.  Non-involved player of fouled teammate starts screaming, non-involved teammate of fouling player grabs shoulder of other guy and talks to him then talks to Ref. Somebody invariably puts hands together as if they are praying looking desperate.  Third guy walks up to guy on other team and says something and the conversation is almost as if they are teammates.  
 

it’s always been weird to me and I wish they’d mic it up like the NFL.  

Edited January 10, 2023 by A-Tex Devil

[Huckleberry 32839]

On 1/9/2023 at 8:32 PM, Bottlecap said:

Do I want soccer to be over-reffed like college basketball? hell fuckin no.

Calling the rules = over-reffing? That's silly. 

It hurts the integrity of any competition if the rules as written are not enforced. My vote would be to change some of these rules, but the calls should always match the rules. 

Edited January 11, 2023 by Huckleberry

[The Dog 44017]

On 1/9/2023 at 2:22 PM, shadow_operative said:

a "soft" foul in the box that gets called 100% of the time when it happens in the midfield- penalty 

 

this 100% yes. 

It would open play tremendously if they called fouls in the box like they do outside of it. 

Soccer should also have two linesman on each side and two refs - two sets of three for each half of the pitch. freaking hockey has four officials for a small ice rink.

but that would cost money...or they could just have VAR in every match. but that costs money too (LOOKING AT U CONCACAF)

Edited January 11, 2023 by The Dog

[Trey3216 15343]

18 hours ago, Firemans4Horn said:

The injury time in the WC was stupid. First halves where nothing of note happen don’t need 5 minutes of injury time.
 

The 2020-21 EPL season that relied on VAR 15 times a game to check if a players nipple or shoelace was .0001mm offsides was practically unwatchable. Glad they scaled it way back. 

Then they shouldn’t have wasted 5 minutes of time diddle-fucking around 

Edited January 11, 2023 by Trey3216

[TheBryMan81 2508]

22 hours ago, Firemans4Horn said:

 

The 2020-21 EPL season that relied on VAR 15 times a game to check if a players nipple or shoelace was .0001mm offsides was practically unwatchable. Glad they scaled it way back. 

I hate the offsides rule right now. I think it states that you are offsides if any part of you that can score a goal is beyond the last player (head, foot, shoulder, nipple, ball sack, whatever. Hand can be offsides because no one other than Maradona (and God) can score with their hands). I get the logic behind that, but it leads to these ridiculous VAR measurements and checks. If it were up to me, I would simplify it to just the feet on the ground. If one of your feet is on the ground and onside, then you're good. That would open up the game a little bit, invite more through/over the top balls, and require more discipline from the defensive back line.

[NorthLoop 14180]

4 hours ago, TheBryMan81 said:

 I would simplify it to just the feet on the ground. If one of your feet is on the ground and onside, then you're good. That would open up the game a little bit, invite more through/over the top balls, and require more discipline from the defensive back line.

I'm with you except I would make it both feet have to be onside. However if your ass or head or whatever is leaning towards the goal and the defender is leaning away from the goal (gee I wonder why that would be) it shouldn't matter. Feet and feet only. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

[Huckleberry 32839]

Is there a time limit on goal kicks in the rules? 6 seconds they can hold the ball, same time limit?

[Pato del Muerto 52484]

That’s after having the ball in his hands?

now I’m wondering how many minutes of any given match are wasted standing over a goal kick, a corner kick, a throw in, cumulative of both sides. 
 

maybe add time the ball is in the keeper’s hands after a save and time from goal to kickoffs but those are more rare and may not add up. 
 

 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Pato del Muerto

[shadow_operative 15932]

a lot of controversy surrounding the pgmol and var, and rightfully so, and one of the latest cases is that the pgmol is expected to apologize to arsenal for not awarding a penalty against chelsea when their keeper went full Terry Tate Office Linebacker on gabriel jesus with no call. that takes me back to my op. literally 99% of foul calls in the box from set pieces go against the attacking team. common sense should tell you that something is drastically wrong with this picture. i’m sick of watching keepers get breathed on, go down, and get a whistle, only to have keepers smashing into outfield players and center backs manhandling attackers on corners and it’s never ever ever called. they have got to either change the rules or start enforcing the current ones.

Edited October 23, 2023 by shadow_operative

[shadow_operative 15932]

arsenal LB jakub kiwior just got football tackled in the box on a set piece and yet he was called for the foul, literally because it was arsenal taking the free kick. i don’t understand why everyone is just seemingly ok with the unspoken rule that says only the attacking team can commit a foul in the box off a corner or a set piece. 

[Napoleon 8658]

All rules should be enforced. 

Then, if things seem overboard, the rules can be changed.

Getting called for a foul because you got football/rugby tackled is fucking regarded.

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

it should be noted that we were playing at porto, where yes, pepe is still flopping around and grabbing his face every time someone breathes on him. the number of fouls that porto were rewarded with for flopping was just aggravating to watch. any contact whatsoever and they just fall to the ground and get the foul call every time. just another example of the horseshit that test rewarded in soccer for no apparent reason.

Edited February 22 by shadow_operative

[hobbes2702 13028]

The lack of officiating in corners and free kicks is insane. Almost to the point that I wish they would make it so it’s not a PK if those fouls are called. It’s like refs are scared to award a PK

[shadow_operative 15932]

what it looks like when you reward one team for constantly flopping:

 

 

37 fouls called in the match. arsenal played like shit and probably deserved to lose 1-0, so this isn’t about that. it’s about unwatchable football due to ridiculous officiating.

 

[Napoleon 8658]

5 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

what it looks like when you reward one team for constantly flopping:

 

 

37 fouls called in the match. arsenal played like shit and probably deserved to lose 1-0, so this isn’t about that. it’s about unwatchable football due to ridiculous officiating.

 

Flops should be seen as a delay of game. 
-Warning, Yellow Card, Second Yellow Card 

Injured players should be give 30 seconds to get off the field at the nearest touch line where they can be tended to. Each 30 second time period should be seen as an individual Delay of Game.

-Bloody head wounds, broken bones, and loss of consciousness/heart stoppages should be the only exceptions.

-Flopping yellows should be awarded if film replays show flopping even if not detected by referees. 

-I would be for hands being required to be clasped behind all players’ back (other than the keeper) by all players in the box on set pieces until the ball enters the box. 

It would make skying for a header virtually impossible, but it would prevent 4 to 7 tackles occurring in the box on every set piece. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

porto, needing only a draw to win the UEFA CL tie with Arsenal, spent the entire first half faking injuries and writhing on the ground in pain. it was beyond gratuitous. to a man, every one of us in the arsenal thread were expecting 6-7 minutes minimum of 1H added time. we got one minute. one fucking minute. i cannot wait to see how much time the porto players spend rolling around ion the ground in fake pain during this 2H, knowing that none of that time will be added on. unbelievable.

[YGIFS 19449]

I only watch Austin FC and WC/EC play.  Have no interest in other MLS or pro leagues abroad or Latin America.  I know more than the vast majority of Americans about the game, but nothing compared to you guys.  

As was posted above, baseball has unwritten rules.  Football has one that I don't hear many people talk about.  Yes, substitutions take up a bit of time...but really not that much.  And people that don't follow the sport much constantly crack wise about the flopping and moaning on the pitch.  But they're not totally wrong.  If we're honest, many players do that in order to give their teammates a minute or two to rest and collect themselves.  It takes up way the fuck more time over the course of a match than the handful of substitutions on non-injuries.  Why not just allow for more substitutions and get fresh legs instead of hurting the image of the sport by having incessant flopping and ankle grabbing?  

Otherwise, all the fouls and frees, I think the officials actually do a more consistent job in this sport than in almost any other save for probably hockey.  My two cents, keep the change.

[Rimbo 25908]

I think the rules should be changed.

First off, get rid of handballs. You can just pick up the ball and advance with it.

Second, now that players can advance the ball in their arms, defenders need a new way to stop them. They should be allowed to just tackle them.

Once tackled, they are "down." And they can only pass the ball from this point by passing it backwards to a teammate.

This could go on endlessly, so we make another new rule: If a team has gone "down" four times, then the other team gets the ball where it was last down. (The team with the ball could, of course, use their last "down" to kick the ball downfield to improve field position.)

Hmmm. Let's see. Scoring might need to change. Having a goalie and a net in these circumstances doesn't make too much sense, so we'll make the whole Penalty Area the full width of the field, and players score by touching the ball down in that area. And we like higher scoring, so we'll actually give them six points if they succeed.

Actually, nevermind that. Simply getting into the Goal Zone at the end... let's just call it the End Zone ... is enough. No need to touch down.

Definitely going to need some protective equipment with these guys running into each other at high speeds. Also want to keep the "kick to score" aspect in the game, but let's move the goal UP a bit, rather than leaving it on the ground. And that's only worth 3 points. Which is still 3x more than we had, so still a high-scoring affair.

I've got a bunch more ideas. Might sound radical, but I think something along these lines would make for a MUCH better game than we currently have.

[Captain Ron 12862]

I think they should play on ice. And wear skates. And use sticks instead of kick the ball. And maybe replace the ball with something smaller, like a puck. 

[Rimbo 25908]

1 minute ago, Captain Ron said:

I think they should play on ice. And wear skates. And use sticks instead of kick the ball. And maybe replace the ball with something smaller, like a puck. 

They'd probably tire out pretty quickly, so you might want to divide the game into 3 periods instead of 2 for longer breaks.

Also, you might need to halve the size of the teams; most ice rinks are pretty small.

I like your ideas! I'd watch that. Though I still like my ideas better.

Edited March 13 by Rimbo

[YGIFS 19449]

Wait, are we talking about Australian Rules Hockey?  What the hell is happening?

Wait.  Hang on.  Can we play it in the water like Water Polo?  I could get some horses.

[Rimbo 25908]

19 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

Wait, are we talking about Australian Rules Hockey?  What the hell is happening?

Wait.  Hang on.  Can we play it in the water like Water Polo?  I could get some horses.

Look, man, we are literally discussing football, which by definition means "a sport played with a ball on foot," explicitly and specifically not including any such equestrian folderol.

[shadow_operative 15932]

4 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

porto, needing only a draw to win the UEFA CL tie with Arsenal, spent the entire first half faking injuries and writhing on the ground in pain. it was beyond gratuitous. to a man, every one of us in the arsenal thread were expecting 6-7 minutes minimum of 1H added time. we got one minute. one fucking minute. i cannot wait to see how much time the porto players spend rolling around ion the ground in fake pain during this 2H, knowing that none of that time will be added on. unbelievable.

 

 

[Rimbo 25908]

i mean you literally have a team named for the English word for one's posterior, arse-nal.

let's ditch them and use more sensible and proper team names, like ... I dunno. "Steelers." Yeah. That's a proper name for a pro sports team.

[Derka 6135]

On 1/9/2023 at 2:22 PM, shadow_operative said:

center backs and strikers getting absolutely mauled on corners and set pieces- penalty

 

this one happens multiple times in probably every single professional game that gets played. 99.9% of the fouls called in the box on set pieces/corners go against the attacking team. that’s not right. that’s a glaringly obvious discrepancy. and it’s doubly bad because the attacking team will get called for just being near the keeper as he decides to fall over, meanwhile the defending team knows it can get away with murder and they take advantage of that fact. i’m a little surprised that i don’t hear more people talking about this.

[Derka 6135]

 

[Incredulity 11643]

On 3/12/2024 at 4:36 PM, Rimbo said:

I think the rules should be changed.

First off, get rid of handballs. You can just pick up the ball and advance with it.

Second, now that players can advance the ball in their arms, defenders need a new way to stop them. They should be allowed to just tackle them.

Once tackled, they are "down." And they can only pass the ball from this point by passing it backwards to a teammate.

This could go on endlessly, so we make another new rule: If a team has gone "down" four times, then the other team gets the ball where it was last down. (The team with the ball could, of course, use their last "down" to kick the ball downfield to improve field position.)

Hmmm. Let's see. Scoring might need to change. Having a goalie and a net in these circumstances doesn't make too much sense, so we'll make the whole Penalty Area the full width of the field, and players score by touching the ball down in that area. And we like higher scoring, so we'll actually give them six points if they succeed.

Actually, nevermind that. Simply getting into the Goal Zone at the end... let's just call it the End Zone ... is enough. No need to touch down.

Definitely going to need some protective equipment with these guys running into each other at high speeds. Also want to keep the "kick to score" aspect in the game, but let's move the goal UP a bit, rather than leaving it on the ground. And that's only worth 3 points. Which is still 3x more than we had, so still a high-scoring affair.

I've got a bunch more ideas. Might sound radical, but I think something along these lines would make for a MUCH better game than we currently have.

I don't know sounds like a christo-fascist metaphor for nuclear war

 

[Derka 6135]

watching the liverpool vs ipswich match and players for both teams who thought they were fouled have fallen to the ground and then blatantly handled, grabbed, and/or otherwise swatted the ball. one of them is already on a booking. neither offense was carded. we’ve all seen this happen 1,000 times and it’s never called. why even have the rule? 

[Derka 6135]

bukayo saka gets pulled down in the box,  no foul. five seconds later a much weaker foul occurs near midfield, foul is called. if it’s a foul, it’s a foul, it’s a foul.

[Derka 6135]

watching this yesterday:

 

reminded me that i’ve heard people who say that play should be stopped once an in-game penalty is saved, that allowing the kick taker a second free shot at an open net is too much if advantage. what do y’all think? 

[Derka 6135]

On 1/9/2023 at 2:22 PM, shadow_operative said:

your team commits a foul and then one of your players picks up the ball/impedes a quick free kick- yellow

[HornOnTheBayou 8904]

9 hours ago, Derka said:

watching this yesterday:

 

reminded me that i’ve heard people who say that play should be stopped once an in-game penalty is saved, that allowing the kick taker a second free shot at an open net is too much if advantage. what do y’all think? 

You don't care about our answers, you just wanted an excuse to post that video again. You're not fooling anybody.

But I'll answer your question anyway and say I like it like it is. No reason for another stoppage of play, just keep going.

[Derka 6135]

2 minutes ago, HornOnTheBayou said:

You don't care about our answers, you just wanted an excuse to post that video again. You're not fooling anybody.

 

[TexArcher 37761]

I think it's mostly fine as-is.  

But I would love to see simulation yellow cards enforced, every time.  They have the ability to completely remove diving, which turns off a lot of casual and potential fans, and I will never understand why they don't do it.  Get up, Neymar, you flopping fish bitchass, etc.