The International Football Association Board is considering some fairly radical changes to the laws of the game. Perhaps the lost radical is the idea that each half should be 30 minutes long but that the clock should stop every time the ball goes out of play.

 

Among other suggestions are

 

Penalties should be taken in the same way as in a shoot-out. If the penalty is not scored, play would restart with a goal kick. The logic behind the change is to eliminate the problem of encroachment.

 

Back passes to the goalkeeper should result in a penalty. I don't see the logic here as the current law has more or less eliminated the back pass.

 

If a goal is prevented by handball on the line, the referee should be able to award the goal anyway.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40311889

Absolutely farcical the lot of them. Ok except the last one you've posted I agree there.

I actually think a lot of them make sense (some less so). Perhaps the 30 minute halves is a big change, but I think it would combat a lot of the time wasting elements that are deployed by teams.

 

That said, I'm not sure a lot of them will get passed.

I like the idea's of stopping the clock for penalties, faux injuries et al. Will really discourage time wasting I think.

30 minute halves I could get on board with. It seems an earth-shattering change but most of the reason I do get bored watching football is the length of the matches.

30 minute halves I could get on board with. It seems an earth-shattering change but most of the reason I do get bored watching football is the length of the matches.

You might be out of luck in that case, as it's likely that 30 minute halves with the clock stopped for injuries, throw ins etc. would probably lead to the game taking about the same amount of time it does now. I read somewhere that the average half currently has about 28 minutes of action.

Rats, back to watching the first few matches of major internationals closely then barely paying attention for the next few years it is then.

You might be out of luck in that case, as it's likely that 30 minute halves with the clock stopped for injuries, throw ins etc. would probably lead to the game taking about the same amount of time it does now. I read somewhere that the average half currently has about 28 minutes of action.

If that idea is adopted how long will it be before broadcasters insist that at least one break in play in each half should be extended to allow for a commercial break?

I dunno. Sky broadcast the entire Grand Prix with out an ad break. Probably find they ask for an extended half time to 20mins rather than show horning an ad break into the middle of a half

I dunno. Sky broadcast the entire Grand Prix with out an ad break. Probably find they ask for an extended half time to 20mins rather than show horning an ad break into the middle of a half

I could far more easily live with that. It's bad enough that they're asking for kick offs at weird times every new season to try and capture international audiences.

I dunno. Sky broadcast the entire Grand Prix with out an ad break. Probably find they ask for an extended half time to 20mins rather than show horning an ad break into the middle of a half

When I started watching football the half-time break was just ten minutes. There must come a time when the length of the break is a problem for players' fitness.

I'll be quite happy with the 30 minute plus the clock stopped for injuries, throw ins etc. 30 minutes would at least make the game where the game is fought to the very end.

 

If a goal is prevented by handball on the line, the referee should be able to award the goal anyway.

 

This should have happened for Ghana at the 2010 World Cup quarter-final, they were robbed thanks to Suarez. Definitely should happen.

 

Originally I thought the changes sounded ridiculous. But now all for them make perfect sense. The traditionalists may not agree.

 

 

As much sense as it makes in terms of preventing time wasting and faked injuries, I'd find it a bit of a shame if the 30 minute half rule was introduced. The current system lends a bit of anarchy to the end of games, particularly compared to something like rugby.