# It's time, once again, for Americans to tell the world how to fix soccer. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 14, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742 "2014-06-14T00:06:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/61 "2014-06-15T19:33:40Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I hope this isn’t too much of a hijack, but what is the time rule? I know it is 90 minutes and that after that time the referee adds time in his discretion for “stoppage” and “substitutions.” I assume that means he keeps track of time used for injuries, substitutions, and other delays, so they guy on the sidelines holds up a board that adds a certain period of time (say, for example, the number 4). > > But in the matches I’ve seen, the whistle doesn’t blow at 94:00 exactly. Sometimes, it is 94:18. Does the referee allow a play to continue? Say one team is pressing for a goal; does the match continue? Does it only continue if the team is down by one goal? If the score is 10-0, does that impact the time left? > > ETA: Is stoppage time added to stoppage time? Say at 92 minutes a foul is called and it takes a minute and a half to get everyone lined up for the free kick. Is that time added? Yes, although people will move quickly for set pieces. Referee usually will allow players to complete a play which has a realistic chance if goal, but the moment that chance goes the whistle blows. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/62 "2014-06-15T20:12:02Z")
I’ve thought of another one: Shepherding the ball out. I never understood why it wasn’t obstruction (for those that don’t know what I am talking about, it is how a defender can physically block an attacking player from getting the ball and thus let the ball go out for a goal kick, usually showing no intention of ever playing the ball themselves) until I looked it up and found out that FIFA’s “Interpretation of the rules” document mentions shielding the ball and how it is OK, but it also goes on to say that players cannot use the arms or body to impede players, something that is clearly seen in games when they shepherd it out. [http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/worldfootball/clubfootball/01/37/04/28/law12-en.pdf](http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/worldfootball/clubfootball/01/37/04/28/law12-en.pdf) > [@](#): > > Shielding the ball is permitted. A player who places himself between an > opponent and the ball for tactical reasons has not committed an offence as > long as the ball is kept within playing distance and the player does not hold off > the opponent with his arms or body. If the ball is within playing distance, the > player may be fairly charged by an opponent. The whole concept seems against the very idea of football, it seemingly justifies the non-playing of the ball as a defensive measure. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/63 "2014-06-15T20:21:07Z")
I’m not sure how the rules are supposed to be interpreted. What are you supposed to hold off an opponent with, if not your body? The way it’s handled now seems fine, though. I don’t see what’s wrong with it. ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/64 "2014-06-15T21:09:28Z")
I think unlimited subs would be a disaster, but I’m curious — how would increasing the number of substitutions affect the game? Say, to five or six? (That said, I like three subs — I’m curious what would happen more than suggesting anyone should try it.) ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/65 "2014-06-15T21:46:53Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > I’m not sure how the rules are supposed to be interpreted. What are you supposed to hold off an opponent with, if not your body? > > The way it’s handled now seems fine, though. I don’t see what’s wrong with it. I just feel purposefully not playing the ball and in doing so stopping someone else is against the spirit of the game. Too many attacks end because a defender throws himself between the attacker and the ball and then just stops with absolutely no intention of playing the ball. And too often the defender doesn’t just stand there - and this is where the rules do seem to be ignored - play against the attacker, pushing back and blocking with their arms. I propose that blocking a player whilst showing no intention of playing the ball should result in an indirect free kick. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/66 "2014-06-15T21:52:52Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > Part of the games appeal is the flow. Unlimited subs and replays will just increase one of the things most annoying about some american sports: the constant stopping. Eh, I doubt it, depending on how it’s used. Take a look at the penalty for Spain against the Netherlands. It was easily a minute or two between the foul and the kick. Plenty of time for the ref to be told through his earpiece that it wasn’t a foul. The game might have restarted faster actually. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/67 "2014-06-15T22:17:04Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > I just feel purposefully not playing the ball and in doing so stopping someone else is against the spirit of the game. Too many attacks end because a defender throws himself between the attacker and the ball and then just stops with absolutely no intention of playing the ball. And too often the defender doesn’t just stand there - and this is where the rules do seem to be ignored - play against the attacker, pushing back and blocking with their arms. > > I propose that blocking a player whilst showing no intention of playing the ball should result in an indirect free kick. But you have to allow some sort of pushing back; that’s how you stop someone from pushing you over, or out the way. You don’t normally see the arms come right out; perhaps they just spread them as wide as they think they can get away with as “personal space”. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/68 "2014-06-15T22:24:39Z")
Any World Cup stats on the number of what I’ll call “open field” or regular goals vs PK/DK goals? Regular goals are harder to score. Shouldn’t they be worth more? I’m thinking like in the NFL where a team can’t manage to score a touchdown so they settle for only a field goal. And are only given half of what a touchdown would have given them. (6 vs. 3 points). In soccer a team finds it can’t score a needed goal so players start to flop in order to get a FK or a PK. That’s fine, but its just not going to be worth as much as a “real” open field goal. Give 'em half a goal! ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/69 "2014-06-15T22:36:50Z")
I just want to point out the the offside rule, or its equivalent, exists in just about every sport that involves getting an object into an opponent’s goal: soccer, hockey, lacrosse, etc. The reason is the same for all those sports. The game becomes very boring without the rule, because a team can keep an offensive player right next to the goal all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/70 "2014-06-15T22:54:09Z")
From this American, avid youth player and lifelong fan, Change the scoring: 1 point if it hits the post, 2 points if the shot/header is taken within the penalty area, 3 points for a shot that scores outside the penalty area. Break the game up into 25 minute quarters. Switch directions each quarter. Gives the coach two more chances to adjust his players, and provides more breaks for fans to get food, commercials, whatever. Two referees, so each one can fully cover half of the field. Better officiating, fewer errors, less diving and fewer sneaky fouls. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/71 "2014-06-15T22:58:10Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Abby Wambach nude? Sorry, the mental image isn’t doing much for me. Point taken. [Alex Morgan, on the other hand…](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/picture_this/public/2012/08/07/294317-alex-morgan.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ibtimes.com/alex-morgan-pictures-us-womens-soccer-player-standout-2012-olympics-photos-739254&h=262&w=192&tbnid=1pOmR4wdFSno4M:&zoom=1&tbnh=186&tbnw=136&usg=__CZj-JERwr1zsq7M4Z_M6b10NrlM=&docid=GbNONuxU4n5YrM&itg=1&client=firefox-a&sa=X&ei=cSSeU6g1yv6hBJLRgqAI&ved=0CLsBEPwdMAo) But I’d actually be embarrassed for her if she was running around naked on the pitch. We’d need to play one-on-one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cognoscant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Cognoscant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cognoscant)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/72 "2014-06-15T22:58:29Z")
I think there’s only one change I would make for this world cup, and that’s to give the referee a little more leeway to order drinks breaks. FIFA agreed to allow them if the temperature was at a certain level, but it seems to me a lot of players in games one or two degrees below the FIFA level are cramping up. It seems humidity was not taken into account. I think the ref should get more discretion on that point. Granted, there might be fewer goals in this tournament, but the sight of multiple players getting stretched out every game isn’t great to watch either. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/73 "2014-06-15T23:04:51Z")
> [@Cognoscant](#): > > I think the ref should get more discretion on that point. It should be totally be at the ref’s discretion - he’s there after all, and probably needs a water break as much as the players. It’s a daft thing to have a hard and fast rule about. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/74 "2014-06-15T23:06:27Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Any World Cup stats on the number of what I’ll call “open field” or regular goals vs PK/DK goals? > > Regular goals are harder to score. Shouldn’t they be worth more? > > I’m thinking like in the NFL where a team can’t manage to score a touchdown so they settle for only a field goal. And are only given half of what a touchdown would have given them. (6 vs. 3 points). > > In soccer a team finds it can’t score a needed goal so players start to flop in order to get a FK or a PK. That’s fine, but its just not going to be worth as much as a “real” open field goal. Give 'em half a goal! It includes all goals. It doesn’t include scores from penalty shoot-outs, but there won’t be any of those until after the group stage, anyway. Penalties are often awarded because of fouls that probably cheated the other team out of a goal anyway. Obviously there are many others awarded where this isn’t the case, too. But I think without such a harsh punishment, there would be too much incentive to defend dangerously to avoid conceding “real” goals. ---
**Author:** ![Cognoscant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Cognoscant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cognoscant)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/75 "2014-06-15T23:11:26Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > It should be totally be at the ref’s discretion - he’s there after all, and probably needs a water break as much as the players. It’s a daft thing to have a hard and fast rule about. Yes, I can’t figure it out myself. …before the England-Italy match the announcer noted that there wouldn’t be any drinks breaks because it wasn’t hot enough under FIFA regs. OK, so what happens in an early afternoon game when it gets warmer during the game? I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/76 "2014-06-15T23:40:01Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > If the score is 10-0, does that impact the time left? IME if a game is seriously one-sided, the ref will end it as close to 90 minutes as decently possible. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/77 "2014-06-16T00:09:40Z")
So, what’s the argument against just adding another ref? In my, admittedly limited experience, a lot of dives seem to be where the ref isn’t paying close attention because they’re counting on the ref only seeing the guy writing around in agony, or perhaps because there was a legitimate minor foul and the only way to get the ref to notice is to make a Broadway production of it. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/78 "2014-06-16T00:23:32Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > So, what’s the argument against just adding another ref? In my, admittedly limited experience, a lot of dives seem to be where the ref isn’t paying close attention because they’re counting on the ref only seeing the guy writing around in agony, or perhaps because there was a legitimate minor foul and the only way to get the ref to notice is to make a Broadway production of it. There are already two assistant referees, with whom the “head” ref can consult if there are concerns about something. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/79 "2014-06-16T00:36:30Z")
How about a shot clock, like basketball? ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742/80 "2014-06-16T01:00:09Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > Part of the games appeal is the flow. Unlimited subs and replays will just increase one of the things most annoying about some american sports: the constant stopping. I don’t see why that has to be the case. Ice hockey has more substitutions than any other sport, and they don’t slow the game down a lick. And, as has been pointed out, replays could also be resolved as quickly as it takes to set up a penalty/free kick – if not more quickly – assuming they’re implemented intelligently (which, I grant you, is a big assumption. > [@straight\_man](#): > > I think unlimited subs would be a disaster… Why? I was watching the Bosnia-Argentina game today; by the end, both teams seemed really tired and, except for brief, isolated sprints, we clearly dragging their feet up & down the pitch. Someone up-thread posted that having tired players leads to mistakes that make the game more exciting. I must say, I just don’t see it. That strikes me as a major reach in trying to argue for the virtues of poor play. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-once-again-for-americans-to-tell-the-world-how-to-fix-soccer/690742.md?page=5)