Goal famine implies changes are needed<\/p>\n
Paul Radford, Reuters, Yokohama, Japan<\/p>\n
Asia's first World Cup promised to be a feast but there were slim
\npickings for anyone who showed up late -- and the time is surely
\nripe for some changes to brighten up the game.<\/p>\n
The tournament began with a bang -- there were goals galore
\nand shocks aplenty in the opening group stage.<\/p>\n
But it ended with a whimper and a goal famine in the knockout
\nphase. Just seven goals were scored in six quarterfinal and
\nsemifinal matches.<\/p>\n
That's not entertainment.<\/p>\n
OK, so it did not stop 1.5 billion people around the globe
\ntuning in to watch Sunday's final on television. But it just may
\nbe time FIFA looked at refining their 'product' to give it
\nlasting appeal.<\/p>\n
Tinkering with the rules would involve breaking a few soccer
\ntaboos but, if the game is to retain its popularity throughout
\nthe 21st century, it needs to come up to date.<\/p>\n
Here are some ideas which might work.<\/p>\n
1. Stop the clock.<\/p>\n
Who says it must be a game of two 45-minute halves? Less can
\nalso be more. Cut the time to 30 minutes each way -- but stop the
\nclock whenever the ball is out of play, as they do in ice hockey
\nand some other sports.<\/p>\n
Statistics at this World Cup show that the ball is in play for
\nbetween 42 and 63 minutes each match. Guarantee the fans an hour
\nof solid action and you would give them a better deal -- plus
\nmore goals. Ten minutes each way for extra time too.<\/p>\n
2. Video replays for key incidents.<\/p>\n
FIFA and its president Sepp Blatter may shudder but it is
\npatently ridiculous that millions of people watching a game on
\ntelevision know a goal has been wrongly awarded or disallowed and
\nthat the only person who does not is the referee.<\/p>\n
Give the poor ref a break and the technical help he needs. As
\nthis World Cup has shown, one bad call can change the result of a
\nmatch and four years of hard work by a coach and his players. Ask
\nItaly and Spain.<\/p>\n
It is far too important to let human error be a critical
\nfactor. This need not stop the flow of play as critics claim
\nsince the replay can be shown in a matter of seconds.<\/p>\n
Restrict video replays to controversial goal incidents,
\npenalties and red card offenses only and it would rarely happen
\nmore than once or twice a match anyway.<\/p>\n
3. End the agony of penalty shootouts.<\/p>\n
Every World Cup leaves behind players who must carry the
\nburden of guilt for destroying a nation's hopes just because they
\nmissed a penalty.<\/p>\n
Replace penalties with some collective action which would
\neliminate what is really a form of torture. Five corners apiece
\nwith five forwards against a goalkeeper and two defenders and 10
\nseconds to score might do the trick and would be far more fun
\ninto the bargain.<\/p>\n
4. End yellow card suspensions.<\/p>\n
Michael Ballack of Germany missed the final this time as did
\nItaly's Alessandro Costacurta in 1994 and Claudio Caniggia of
\nArgentina in 1990, just because they picked up two yellow cards
\non the way, often an arbitrary enough sanction anyway.<\/p>\n
Make yellow card offenders serve their punishment in the match
\nthey are playing in rather than pay in the future. In other
\nwords, introduce a sin-bin as in ice hockey where yellow cards
\ncould be absolved in 10 minutes off the pitch.<\/p>\n
5. Ditch the golden goal.<\/p>\n
The golden goal makes teams play too cautiously for fear of
\nconceding one and ending the game. Play to the end of extra time
\nand give the team which has gone behind a chance to come back and
\nwin.<\/p>\n
If the golden goal had existed in 1970, one of the greatest
\ngames in World Cup history would have been little more than a
\nfootnote.<\/p>\n
Italy's thrilling 4-3 win over West Germany, with five goals
\nin extra time, would have been a 2-1 win to the Germans, who
\nscored first in extra time.<\/p>",
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