[Siberian Spireite]

I know FIFA bang on about wanting the game to be the same at all levels but insisting World Cup matches be played with a 99p floater has been a fairly significant departure from the usual format of football already.

After witnessing the debacle at the end of Slovakia v Italy, surely it is time for an official play-clock? It might sound a bit American but an independent timekeeper could stop the match whilst waiting for Italians to stop feigning injury, start it again when play resumes, and everybody would know exactly how much time was left (the time could be displayed on TV and in the stadium). That would probably be more exciting than waiting for a goal kick and the ref to blow as the ball crosses halfway, having seen the keeper spend three minutes tying his shoelaces if his team in in the winning position.

Also, any waving of imaginary cards at the ref should be an automatic yellow card offence.

[Cosmo Kramer]

Siberian Spireite, on Jun 25 2010, 05:03 AM, said:

I know FIFA bang on about wanting the game to be the same at all levels but insisting World Cup matches be played with a 99p floater has been a fairly significant departure from the usual format of football already.

After witnessing the debacle at the end of Slovakia v Italy, surely it is time for an official play-clock? It might sound a bit American but an independent timekeeper could stop the match whilst waiting for Italians to stop feigning injury, start it again when play resumes, and everybody would know exactly how much time was left (the time could be displayed on TV and in the stadium). That would probably be more exciting than waiting for a goal kick and the ref to blow as the ball crosses halfway, having seen the keeper spend three minutes tying his shoelaces if his team in in the winning position.

Also, any waving of imaginary cards at the ref should be an automatic yellow card offence.

This idea about the game being the same at all levels is utter tripe already frankly so I don't see why some ideas such as yours to improve it at the top level shouldn't be tried. The fourth official is already stood there doing not much except checking studs are screwed in and corralling managers back in to their "technical areas" anyway so lets think of some ways for him to earn his money.

The other option for FIFA is to level things up is to ensure that when I turn up at the park on Sunday morning that there are two qualified linesmen rather than a player from either side with a tracksuit top for a flag. I'm happy either way.

[Siberian Spireite]

Cosmo Kramer, on Jun 25 2010, 04:11 AM, said:

This idea about the game being the same at all levels is utter tripe already frankly so I don't see why some ideas such as yours to improve it at the top level shouldn't be tried. The fourth official is already stood there doing not much except checking studs are screwed in and corralling managers back in to their "technical areas" anyway so lets think of some ways for him to earn his money.

The other option for FIFA is to level things up is to ensure that when I turn up at the park on Sunday morning that there are two qualified linesmen rather than a player from either side with a tracksuit top for a flag. I'm happy either way.

Sunday league linesmen were a real curse when I played up front. Didn't matter if you were five yards onside- the flag went up if it was their sub running the line.

Having a fourth official at Sunday League level would be a laugh, with a couple of technical areas, but it would be dangerous to try it at Killamarsh, where I was once headbutted by a spectator for asking him to move back off the pitch when I was running the line (badly, no doubt).

[azul]

Siberian Spireite, on Jun 25 2010, 05:03 AM, said:

I know FIFA bang on about wanting the game to be the same at all levels but insisting World Cup matches be played with a 99p floater has been a fairly significant departure from the usual format of football already.

After witnessing the debacle at the end of Slovakia v Italy, surely it is time for an official play-clock? It might sound a bit American but an independent timekeeper could stop the match whilst waiting for Italians to stop feigning injury, start it again when play resumes, and everybody would know exactly how much time was left (the time could be displayed on TV and in the stadium). That would probably be more exciting than waiting for a goal kick and the ref to blow as the ball crosses halfway, having seen the keeper spend three minutes tying his shoelaces if his team in in the winning position.

Also, any waving of imaginary cards at the ref should be an automatic yellow card offence.

Italians feigning injury at the end of the game when chasing an equaliser?

How strange! I thought the Slovakians might have been tempted given the match situation.

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

Siberian Spireite, on Jun 25 2010, 05:03 AM, said:

I know FIFA bang on about wanting the game to be the same at all levels but insisting World Cup matches be played with a 99p floater has been a fairly significant departure from the usual format of football already.

After witnessing the debacle at the end of Slovakia v Italy, surely it is time for an official play-clock? It might sound a bit American but an independent timekeeper could stop the match whilst waiting for Italians to stop feigning injury, start it again when play resumes, and everybody would know exactly how much time was left (the time could be displayed on TV and in the stadium). That would probably be more exciting than waiting for a goal kick and the ref to blow as the ball crosses halfway, having seen the keeper spend three minutes tying his shoelaces if his team in in the winning position.

Also, any waving of imaginary cards at the ref should be an automatic yellow card offence.

Firstly, i reckon the only way anyone involved with F.I.F.A. will listen to ways of 'improving' the World Cup is if there's a vote or a few bob in it for them. We've already seen them refuse to embrace the same technology used in virtually every other sport, an attitude that's purely and simply down to political expediency, so common sense proposals like "why not use a proper ball instead of something off Skeggy beach?" have no hope.

Secondly, this myth about wanting everything to be the same from the most basic kick-about on a dusty clearing in Africa to a Champions League Final in Madrid is just knackers. When was the last time a committee examined video footage of a dubious tackle during the Sunday morning clash between Birdholme WMC and Newbold All Stars? When was the last time some geezer recieved a retrospective 'red' 'cos of a deliberate handball during a game in Jamaica's third division? The truth is it doesn't happen there but happens at higher levels of the game, therefore F.I.F.A. have already broken there own criteria.

That said, though, i'll throw this idea into the mix just for the sake of debate on this forum: why not make the World Cup more like the F.A. Cup? Here's what i'd do: over the two years leading up to the finals there'd be a number of rounds where fixtures are decided by pulling balls out of a bag and those pitted against each other play on a home and away basis. Like the F.A. Cup i'd also allow the weaker nations to play the early rounds whilst the stronger nations enter later on, their status being decided by the ranking system. Then, when what should be the elite are left, they play the finals in the usual manner. Now i know this might mean someone like Argentina meeting, say, Spain prior to the finals which would mean one supposedly top team less in the tournament, however on the other hand how many times have we witnessed also-rans at the finals whilst traditionally stronger sides have been absent just because the European qualifying groups contain more quality than the Oceana group? I'm pretty certain that this structure would see the better sides emerge overall, whilst still offering the opportunity for the odd 'giant killing' or 'fairy tale' to take place.

But then i think we all know it'll never, ever happen, largely because of the reason i stated in my first sentence.

This post has been edited by MDCCCLXVI: 25 June 2010 - 12:38 PM