Following on from robbies technology thread, if you were Seb Blatter and had the ability to change the game to how you like what changes would you make? This doesn't have to just be technology introduced but rule changes as well. Expanded Hawk-eye In a recent interview with the hawkeye owner he said that they believe hawkeye could tell if a player was offside 2 seconds after the ball was played. This would be and excellent addition to the game as it would reduce the number of offside errors, of which I feel there are more than goal line issues (there were two good goals disallowed for offside last weekend) and it would free the linesmen up to watch the game closer for fouls instead of having to look down the line. This I think would become invaluable to the game and where hawkeye would really come into its own. Television match official (TMO) Following the lead of rugby I would like to see the referee connected to someone who can see the television screens and can provide information. The ref would be able to sake questions to clarify points such as "Did that hit his arm?" or "Was that in the box" this would give another opinion that would help to provide a fairer officiating. Players talking to the referee One thing in the game at the moment that really annoys me is the way that players surround the Referee if he makes a decision they feel hard done by. Hopefully the above proposals would improve refereeing making this unnecessary. I would give any player other than the captain a yellow for speaking to the referee without have been called over. Diving Hopefully the improvement mean that diving would be rewarded far less. I would remove the requirement to give a diver a yellow and instead go to a panel reveiw system to issue suspensions 1 game for a dive outside the box and 3 for a dive inside the box. Diving is just cheating and the game should seek to stamp out all forms of cheating. Citations Another on borrowed from rugby, teams can refer incident that they feel were badly handeled or missed. This would go to a panel which will hear evidence from the clubs, TV and the match officials but will make they're own decisions even if the referee doesn't agree or saw it at the time. Broadcast referee conversations This is more out of interest, would be interesting to hear what the referees are saying in the pitch and I feel they should also have the same press obligations after the match as the managers do.
Did the Hawk-eye owner draw any distinction between being offside and being in an offside position? I presume he was referring to the latter, not the former. It is one thing to show conclusively that a player was goalside of a line "drawn" across the pitch, quite another to show that he was offside in being there.
Interesting that a lot of your ideas are borrowed from rugby (although being from Bath it is understandable!). IF the Hawkeye tech is that good it would be a huge boost to the officials and should IMO be adopted once proven. Personally I don't like the idea of a TMO as I think that the game would need to be stopped to allow him to answer whether there was a handball or not and so could only be referred back following a break in play, so for a contentious goal OK but for general play I can't see it working. I find it amazing that players other than the captains can talk to the ref. This shouldbbe brought in immediately. completely agree with the diving point, citations and referees conversations. My only additions to the pot would be: I would change the rule where a player cannot be punished after the fact IF the official has taken action at the time. I'd give both teams an extra substitute if extra time is being played in a cup tie. I'd close the transfer window before the season starts.
While I prefer Football as a sport I do watch a lot of rugby too and have a lot of respect for the way the game is run and the level of respect in the game for the officials and the willingness to include new technologies and the like to if they improve the sport. Although I'm very much a Union man (when it comes to rugby) i also like the way that rugby league sets up friendlies to test rule changes.
I would make the offside law clearer, if you are offside then you are offside, it doesn't matter about whether you are active, inactive, first phase, second phase, make it plain and simple and not that load of ****. also i would bring back being able tackle somebody hard but fair for the ball, I have long said that the diving element of the game has increased with the namby pamby attitude towards tackling. if a player knows he could get tackled and not automatically get a freekick/penalty it might encourage them to stay on their feet.
If I was Sepp Blatter I wouldn't really be too bothered with all this footy technology stuff. I'd be far too busy swimming around my vault in the huge mounds of gold coins, like Scrooge McDuck. And organising Bunga-Bunga parties for unemployed Italian strippers to attend. And laughing my ass off over the fact that anyone in the world of sport would pay attention to anything I had to say.
I'd BAN subs after 85 mins in any league game, except in the case of a player being injured. I'd also insist that playres being substituted 'jog' to the touchline, not able like a '90-year old' Disclaimer - Many thanks Robbie - it was worth seeing you take as long as possible to walk off, just to see the expression on Neil's face when he realised QPR hadn't won the title!!!!
As in the case of offside, Hawk-eye couldn't decide whether there had been handball or not. Hawk-eye might tell the video ref whether there had been contact between ball and hand/arm, but not whether that contact constituted an offence. The vast majority of controversies over "handball" are over whether the ball striking the players hand/arm constituted an offence or not.
I would carry out his earlier suggestion of women wearing skimpy panties instead of shorts. That I think was his deepest and most insightful suggestion in this modern era as to how to attract bigger crowds to the female game. Not sure if they were to be topless as well, it was extremely well thought out and a bit too complicated for me to grasp as I recall. What a genius he is.
@Bath-Canary Can you clarify what incidents in rugby the TMO is allowed to provide information on? In football, the referee, his assistants and the fourth official are wired up and (as far as I know) can communicate freely throughout the game about anything. Is that the situation with the TMO in rugby or is his role restricted to adjudicating on the award of a try?
Two week window at the end of the season for player transfers and Managerial appointments then you go with what you've got. Abolish current loan system completely so 'Big' clubs are unable to buy up all young talent, loans to be reverted back to emergencies only when a club cannot field 11 players for whatever reason and MUST be sanctioned by the FA. All of above would ensure far more competitive and fair Leagues IMO
award free kicks 10- 15 yards forward after dissent to try and get rid of players talking back to refs
I think the general rule is that they can rule on anything they are specifically asked by the referee but not tell them things they missed. largely its used to check the phase of play before a try or whether the ball was grounded.
maximum of 10 non national based players in the squad ( it has done Barcelona ok having often less than 10 non Spanish players), it would make the champions league a competition involving British players again and then I could get more joy than just watching the most expensive players play for the highest bidder
KIO, that would be a virtual death warrant for half the clubs in the Football League. They don't have to have loan players because the big clubs have bought them all up. They need them because they are a way of having sufficient squad strength to field a team week in week out, which many professional clubs otherwise couldn't do. The alternative is to drop professional status and revert to part-time.
How on earth do you work that one out ? How the hell did football survive pre 1980's then ? I loathe the loan system and have done so since it's introduction, having said that, the real kick in the teeth for the smaller clubs was the Bosman ruling IMO
Did you follow the FA debate about loans prompted by last season's abuse of the then existing rule by Watford, who registered a bevy of loanees from their Serie A "feeder" club Udinese? There was panic in the lower leagues because it was thought that this might lead to changes in the loan rules and severe restrictions on the use of loans. In the event the panic was unnecessary, because the loophole used by Watford could be closed fairly simply without knock-on effects. But the issue and ensuing uproar demonstrated just how important the loan system is to lower league clubs.
Own up that the Qatar world cup is entirely due to bribary so that the corrupt officials involved can be dismissed and the world cup can be moved to a more suitable and less homophobic country.
I would... * make the goals bigger * make extra time 'golden goal' * ban all players except captains approaching the ref
