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Football (soccer)

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REGULATIONS
- project -

Some novelties have been introduced lately to make football a more attractive game.
It has been established that a player in an offside position is a reason for stopping the match unless the player is involved in active play. However, we witness peculiar situations when the referee does not stop a game and a player leaves his offside position and… score a goal.
A regulation has been also established which restricts unspectacular play “on time” - passing the ball to the team-mate goalkeeper (unless it is done with head) causes the ball lost for the benefit of an opponent. However, some dramatic situations can be observed sometimes when the ball is not caught by the goalkeeper - without being sure how the passing will be classified by the referee (aware play of a team-mate, his mistake in play or a rebound), he cautiously rebounds the ball back to the play field risking that the opponent will score the goal.
Both described cases are illustrating changes in the game regulations (known not only in the football laws…) - so the referees (lawyers) guided by the ideas of justice and logic are changing rules in the proper direction. Unfortunately, they do not take all the possible situations into account, which causes a grotesque distortion of noble intentions. They wished good but did not manage. The same old story…
Therefore, the following propositions should be assessed critically, but also thoroughly…
Currently the classic football regulations are not up-to-date and sometimes even absurd. They do not follow rapid changes in other branches, including sport. The referee’s decisions based on the same regulations can be sometimes surprising and even discreditable, especially in goal situations, which are the most important.
The laws of the football game are suggested to be changed.

1. Duration of the match

1.1 The match is to be divided into four periods 15 minutes each, that is 60 minutes, and three intervals.
1.2 The match is played around the pure playtime.
1.3 The period when the ball is in the goalkeeper’s hands will not be included in the playtime (from catching the ball by a goalkeeper on a penalty area to throwing or kicking the ball out).
1.4 The playtime does not include intervals caused by a player’s foul, the ball out of the field and also intervals caused by outer factors.
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Aim
- to eliminate playing “on time” as well as unjustified intervals.

2. The field of play division

2.1 The field of play should be divided into four parts.
2.2 The existing crosswise lines which limit penalty areas will be prolonged towards both touchlines thus creating from the side of the goalposts end fields (quarters).
2.3 Areas between the lines defined in 2.2 and the halfway line are middle fields (quarters).

Aim
- to bring in a new rule about offside position.

3. Regulation about the offside position

According to the current regulations there is no offside position if a player receives the ball from a corner kick or a throw-in.
Up to now regulations will remain in force, however considering some new rules.

3.1 The definite offside position should be stated in case of a distinctive difference in distances between considered players (more than 1/3 meter, that is more than one English foot).
3.2 After a correct (according to the current regulations about offside position) entry of the ball to the goal-quarter, the regulation about the offside position will be stopped.
3.3 After a free kick from the end field (out of the penalty area) the regulation about the offside position should be restored.
3.4 The play will not be stopped in spite of the player’s offside position if the referee decides that a player is not involved in action, however the player may not take an active part in play till the action finishes, otherwise the play is stopped and no goals are scored.

Aims
- to increase the number of goal situations, decrease the number of false referee’s verdicts, reinforce dynamics of the play as well as to reward offensive play and restrain defensive play (3.1),
- to avoid the mass entry (in force of 3.2) of the attacking team’s players to the opponent’s goal,
- to eliminate controversial cases, in which a player is really on the offside position (the play is not stopped because he is not involved in action), though in a minute he turns in play scoring a goal or taking part in scoring (3.4).

4. Touch and goal outs

Leaving the ball out of touch line or goal line will not make the game stopped by the referee, if:
a) the ball does not touch the ground out of the field,
b) the ball has been kicked out by a partner, an opponent or the referee,
c) the ball has been rebounded from a goalpost, crossbar or corner flag post,
d) the ball has been passed again in the field of play with one hit of a player who touches the field of play.

Aim
- to make play on the field boundaries more vivid.

5. Foul penalties

5.1 Punishment by red and yellow cards should be abandoned.
5.2 Minor fouls will be punished only by the ball lost on the benefit of the opponent (as currently). More considerable penalties will involve elimination of a player out of game for 5, 10, 15 or 30 or 60 minutes (of pure play) without right to be replaced by another player.
5.3 The detailed catalogue of penalties will be worked out depending on the degree of a foul and the place it was committed.
5.4 Penalties will be also awarded for fouls committed by players out of the field of play and out of the pure playtime.
5.5 Play will be stopped by the referee just after the foul is stated and will be restarted by a player of the offended team from the place of the foul commitment, unless the remaining regulations state otherwise.
5.6 If a foul is committed out of the field in the half-zone of the offended player’s team (also out of the goal), play will be restarted by a free kick from the midpoint of the touchline.
5.7 If a foul is committed in the half-zone of the punished player’s team, play will be restarted by a corner kick.
5.8 Penalty kick will be awarded also in case of elimination of a player for 60 minutes regardless of the place and time of the offence commitment.
5.9 Scoring a goal will cause reduction of 5 minutes of awarded penalties to all the punished players of both teams, so players on a 5-minute penalties have the right to continue play immediately after its restarting in the middle of the field. The similar reductions will appear in penalties against a player after scoring a goal by applying the privilege of benefit right.
5.10 On both teams’ proposal the referee can in the similar way and at the same time reduce all the awarded penalties.
5.11 Penalties awarded for particular drastic fouls (60 minutes) will not be reduced.
5.12 If the size of an awarded penalty exceeds the time remaining to the end of the match, the complementary penalty will be taken over by a player from the punished team.
5.13 In statistics statements the number of penalty minutes (without reductions) will be written down only on a guilty player’s account.
5.14 The minimal number of players on the field will be established as well as a bound with it rule of putting of the penalty.
5.15 Unexecuted penalties will go over the next matches of the tournament.
5.16 Setting up the order of teams participating in matches, in case of balance (according to the current criteria) the order will be decided by comparison of penalty minutes sum (without reduction).

Aim
- a proper dependence of a penalty size on the sort of a foul.

6. Benefit right

6.1 If a situation is beneficial for an offended team, the referee will signalise the benefit right suggesting his intention to punish a player who breaks the regulations after the action finishes.
6.2 The benefit right can be signalised in series of next cases of breaking the regulations by defensive players.
6.3 If during the benefit right application no goal is scored, and fouls appear in at least places, an offended team has right to choose a place for restarting the game.
6.4 If during the benefit right application a foul is committed by a player from the privileged team (attacking), the referee immediately will stop the match and state penalties. The match will be restarted by the team with less penalty. In case of similar penalties the match will be restarted by the defensive team.

The benefit right should be expanded also for the following cases.
6.5 If the ball occurs out of the defensive team’s goal line, this team’s player can replace a classic kick with a kick (similar to throw-in) or with kicking out the thrown-up ball from the goal line. In a similar way a player can restart play replacing his goal-keeper.
6.6 If the ball occurs out of the defensive team’s goal line, this team’s goalkeeper can replace a classic free kick with throwing out or kicking out the thrown-up ball from any place in his penalty area. In a similar way a goalkeeper can restart play.
6.7 If the ball occurs out of a touch line, a player can replace a classic free kick with a throw-in performed from the nearest place out of the line.
6.8 A corner kick can be performed according to the current regulations or can be replaced with a throw-in.
6.9 To avoid misunderstandings, a player (also a goalkeeper) willing to use the new regulations should signalise his intention with raising his shoulder.

Aim
- not to stop play in dramatic situations by stating penalties for more considerable fouls at the same time (currently penalties are usually not stated after the benefit right application),
- increasing the play tempo (expanding the benefit right interpretation, if players restarting the play consider it to be continued form a tactical point of view).

7. Replacement of players

7.1 Each team can consist of 22 players, from which maximum 11 players can play at the same time (less in case of time exclusion from play).
7.2 In case of injuries, exhaustion or in view of tactics, every player can leave the field at any moment (during a match or intervals).
7.3 A substitute can enter the field from his goal line side during an interval or while the ball is in his opponent’s half.
7.4 There is no restriction as to the number of substitutions.

Aim
- to make play more vivid and to eliminate absurd situation when an offended team play in reduced make-up because an injured player leaves the field for a moment

8. The wall position

8.1 A single wall will be created only by the defensive team’s players.
8.2 Wall position will not be necessary.
8.3 While a free kick performance attacking players will be situated in a regulated distance from the ball and out of the triangle between the ball and both goal posts.

Aim
- to avoid unsporting behaviour of both team’s players nearby the created wall.

9. The out-of-corner kick

9.1 If a foul committed in a penalty area is not be punished by a penalty kick, an out-of-corner kick (in spite of an indirect free kick) will be awarded.
9.2 Every third corner kick can be replaced by an out-of-corner kick.
9.3 Every corner kick in the last quarter of the match can be replaced by an out-of-corner kick.
9.4 Holding the ball by a goalkeeper for more than 10 seconds will be threatened by awarding a penalty kick.
9.5 Out-of-corner kick will be performed from an end field (one from two) of a penalty area (from the middle side of the field).
9.6 During an out-of-kick performance:
- the current penalty position regulation will be stopped (see 3.2),
- attacking players will not be able to be in the defensive team’s penalty area as well as out of the goal line;
- defensive players will be able to be in their penalty area as well as out of their goal line,
- defensive players will be able to create a wall.

Aims
- to avoid an awkward situation of an indirect free-kick performance at a small distance from a goal (9.1),
- to bonus offensive actions (9.2, 9.3),
- to discipline the play (9.4),
- to calm down both teams’ players during playing the stable fragment of a match (9.5).

10. A visual technique application

10.1 During high-ranked football matches, an up-to-date visual technique should be applied. Above both penalty areas cameras should be placed, which will make broadcast for viewers more attractive, and images will be registered and archived.
10.2 Doubtful cases will be judged in a studio by additional three referees, who (after analising visual records) will help to give a verdict to the general referee. Verdicts will be displayed in an attractive way on big stadium screens.
10.3 If after the match ending but before the next match in the tournament referees notice in a studied film records extremely unsporting behavior of a player (unnoticed during the match), an additional time penalty will be stated, which will be taken into account during the next match.

Aim
- to reduce referees’ mistakes.

I believe that suggested football regulations will be friendlier for players, supporters and referees.

Before bringing the suggested regulations in football play, this text should be re-edited using the nomenclature recognized by football federations (in Poland - by PZPN).

Some time ago sports (as the whole life) went on a bit slower. There wer no technical facilities to replay the most important moments of sport competitions. The referee was a verdict-machine - may be players and supporters knew better but He always knew better.
Nowadays millions of observers see and assess better than the best football referees. They must reach a just decision in a moment, but we can analyse for hours considering the referee’s verdicts to be punishable.
It is also should be analysed if it is worth to bring in the second referee on the field.
Currently series of sports use technical achievements, which used to be novelties and now are canons. Sports with non-modernised regulations are becoming comparatively slower and less spectacular. They are losing their attractiveness and contact with the more critical viewer possessing double power over visual information - video (he can watch a doubtful situation again) and a remote control (he can choose another program)…

Miroslaw Nalezinski