Soccer Football Needs More Goals, No Offside Rule, Now


Soccer, football is a great game, but it has become far too defensive. Players spend endless amounts of time controlling possession and passing the ball around in their own half. The defending team stacks their own half with all their players, and 'pushes up' their last line of defense to compress the game into one half of the field.

The creates an 'offside trap'. This means that most of the game is played in only half of the field. As soon as one team loses possession, all their players rush back and assume a defensive position in their own half, while the team with possession passes the ball amongst themselves. This is very boring! 

What football really needs is more goals.

Crowd want to see scores of 11:7, 14:17, not O:O or 1:0. In many cases, the best team does not win because of a fluke goal against the run of play. This is wrong and unfair. It is very frustrating for players and spectators.

This article discusses two major rule changes needed to improve the 'world game'.

The average number of goals scored in soccer has plateaued at around 2 per game. This is far too few for players and fans to enjoy the game
The average number of goals scored in soccer has plateaued at around 2 per game. This is far too few for players and fans to enjoy the game
Widening the soccer goals by a yard on each side would boost the number of goals score and would be better for fans and players
Widening the soccer goals by a yard on each side would boost the number of goals score and would be better for fans and players Source: Original Image - Janderson99
The offside rule in soccer effectively compresses most of the play into the defending team's half of the field. Cancelling the offside rule would open up play as it has done in field hockey.
The offside rule in soccer effectively compresses most of the play into the defending team's half of the field. Cancelling the offside rule would open up play as it has done in field hockey. Source: Original Image - Janderson99

Make the Goals Wider

The average number of goals scored per game has declined from more than 4 up until about 1975 to about two goals now. Spectators pay large entrance fees and wait 90 minutes to see two goals! WOW that is clearly inadequate.

Spectators love to see spectacular goals from wide out that crash into the net. Players love to score spectacular goals.

There is one sure way to increase the average number of goals scored per game - make the goals wider.

This would require a rule change to move the goal posts out by 1 yard (1 m) on each side. The goal should be 10 yards (9.1 m) wide, an increase of 2 yards from current width of 8 yards (24 feet). The height should be unchanged at 8 feet (2.44 m) tall.

Imagine all those near misses and strikes against the post that would now go in!

This would encourage players to shoot from further out and would dramatically increase the number of spectacular goals scored.

The average number of goals scored per game would be doubled or tripled by this.

The wider goals could be restricted to adult leagues. Juniors already have smaller goals.

Cancel the Offside Rule

The offside rule was canceled Field Hockey, why not football?

This would eliminate the endless stupid debates about whether a player was offside or not. It is likely that the game will be held up by endless video replays in the near future which detracts from its appeal.

► This rule change would open up the game and give truly gifted payers more room to dribble past opponents and shoot for goal.

► It would stop the compression to one half that has stifled the modern game.

► It would encourage long passes, which everyone wants to see.

► It would increase the number of goals scored and end the stifling call-backs for offside that ruins the modern game.

Conclusion

These two rule changes would greatly improve the game of football for both players and spectators by opening up the game, keeping it free-flowing and increase the number of goals scored. 

Bring it On!