Four soccer rules that must change: Important memo to all fans of “The Beautiful Game”

The world's most popular sport ( calm down pickleball aficionados, you're not there yet) absolutely has to make a few changes to their long standing traditional rules to make the game even better.

Note, this particular sports manifesto is not being brought to you by some American loving sport fan who doesn’t really appreciate or understand the game of soccer— but instead one who has most definitely taken the plunge— head first ( can’t use your hands right?) into this great game.

Note, additionally as you read this that I will not wax poetic on the sport, or try to convince any naysayers about the benefits of the game.  That, an argument for another day

Instead, I will give you four rules that will absolutely make the game of soccer better!  Guaranteed.  Locked and loaded.  I am even further convinced of this after watching the recently completed brilliant Copa America and Euro Cup Soccer tournaments.

Both were outstanding!  The skill level and intensity of competition was incredible to observe, and you can’t beat the emotion and passion of teams when they are playing for the pride of their country.

But still, the games could be even better.  I know soccer traditionalist will think me silly and that the proposed changes are too drastic, too locked into the great tradition and history of the game.

 To that, I respectfully say, “hogwash”.

You can always make a game better.  Never be afraid to change the rules, even if it means breaking a long standing tradition.  The three-point shot in basketball, the forward pass in football, and baseball just recently going to the pitch clock to speed up the games are notable examples.

I think most, if not just about everyone, now would say those rule changes drastically altered their respective sport —and for the better!  All, it should be noted, were met with strong initial resistance.

So, with that as a lead in— here are my four must-do rule changes for the game of soccer— Listed in no particular order:

First, has to do with the time honored tradition of the famed “offsides” rule in soccer.

When I say “famed” here, I use it the same context as Charles Manson or Son of Sam was “famed.” Yes, in sports analogy, the rule is that bad. The brutal, buzz kill of the offsides penalty is treated by the soccer traditionalist with more delicacy of criticism than the British royalty in their beloved mother country.

But, how many times have you seen a team brilliantly work their offense with a spectacular array of skilled passing, often in a traffic of players, and then beautifully execute the final pass leading to a streaking player heading unencumbered with ball on foot towards the net .

The fans stand in anticipation of this monumental confrontation between streaking player and goalie...and then right before this truly delicious sports moment (strategic pause...) —the whistle blows, and the little guy (girl) in the shorts on the sidelines has their yellow  flag raised high and proud— for an offsides call. All because the player receiving the ball was maybe a half foot past the defender on contact.

“The moment” we all have waited for ( yes soccer on occasion can be a bit slow and tedious.)  is wiped out because a player was maybe half a body is in front of the defender.  It is literally painful to experience this as a fan watching.. Shameful, indeed, to see such brilliance taken away because of the slightest of margins of infractions.

The solution?  Simple!   Allow players a one or two-foot cushion on the defender in the offsides zone, and instead of blowing the dang whistle right in the middle of a great scoring play, you would instead get a “play on” and the ensuing drama to go with it. Note, we are not talking about eliminating offsides altogether.  The cherry picking and blatant way past the defense calls would and should still be made—but the close ones, within a couple feet? Repeat after me—play on!

The second one is easy, and an absolute must do. 

 At the end of the game do not allow players to stall by dribbling the ball into the corners of the field with the sole intent of just wasting the clock away.  A sporting buzz kill if we ever saw one.

An exciting game throughout, with one team hanging on tenuously to a one goal lead, and then, instead of real end to end excitement and drama in those final minutes, we watch the team with the lead stop playing their normal style and instead, simply just head to the corner with the ball and try to block off defenders while protecting the ball.  Meanwhile precious seconds of the clock goes tick..tick…ticking away.. No other sport allows this kind of blatant stall technique.

The solution? Once again, easy!  When the referee sees this, and it is always clearly obvious, just blow the whistle and either offer a warning-or make it an immediate turnover to the opposing team. Not a big deal, and not really a major change, but I dare any soccer fan to tell me this would not make the end of game’s better and more exciting.

Third up on our “rule change excursion”, is the rule in professional Cup soccer games, where if any individual player gets yellow cards in two consecutive games,  they must then sit out the entire next game.

Horrible rule!  You get to a huge semi final or quarter final tournament game between two rival countries and now key players have to miss the entire game?  Because of minor yellow card infractions?

Completely insane.  Yellow cards are often given for some arguably mild infraction, and now because a particular referee got a little jumpy and called a questionable yellow a player must sit?  Not for minutes like in hockey, but they must miss the entire match.

Talk about punishment not fitting the crime!

Finally, and this one I admit, CAN be argued.  It has a bit more nuance and room for questioning, but despite all of that,  I would strongly argue that if enacted, it would make the game exponentially more enjoyable to watch.

My suggestion?  Make a rule where a “play on” warning would be given to teams that simply pass the ball back and forth—often even backwards, in an attempt to either stall or delay setting up their offense.

 Before writing this one off too quickly,  please understand that I am fully aware of the strategy of a deliberate attack,  as teams probe and  look to find the right moment to attack the defense.

Understood, BUT, there must be a limit.  At some point (referee’s discretion) a team would be given a verbal and physical warning that they must “play on”,   meaning they must look to make a purposeful offensive attack.  In layman’s terms,  a real attempt at scoring, not just passing the ball back and forth.

If unheeded after a warning?  The official would then blow the whistle and award the defense ball possession.

Wow would that speed up the game! A dramatic change I know,  but think of the additional scoring opportunities and the increased end to end action that it would produce.

I am sure the true soccer traditionalist, out there,  particularly those from other countries where fut’bol is number one, would have mini seizures or sudden heart palpitations if these new rule changes were ever even suggested.

…But it doesn’t stop me at all, from being convinced that if they ever did make these changes?  “The Beautiful Game”, the game we love so much, would be even that much better.