BBC: The chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee is considering changing the rules to not allow follow-up shots after a penalty kick is saved

Hupu News on November 13 Recently, BBC Sports invited players, commentators and referees to discuss: What rule changes can promote the development of football?

These assumptions may sound unrealistic, but the evolution of football has always been closely linked to changes in rules. If the following reform plan is implemented, how will the tactical landscape on the court be reshaped? This article will analyze from three dimensions: raising the threshold for penalty kicks, applying indirect free kick tactics in the penalty area, and introducing a stopwatch system to curb delays.

The tactical revolution triggered by the change in penalty kick rules

The first proposal advocates that penalties for fouls in the penalty area should match the severity of the violation. If only intentional fouls with obvious scoring opportunities are awarded penalty kicks, and other fouls in the penalty area are changed to free kicks, the decision-making logic of both offense and defense will be completely changed.

When the cost of fouls in the penalty area is reduced from penalty kicks to free kicks, defensive players will dare to engage in tougher physical confrontations. The central defender does not have to be timid due to slight contact, and can implement more aggressive defense when facing forwards who receive the ball with their backs, which will drastically reduce the efficiency of pivot tactics. In the wide area, the defender can also use his body to squeeze offensive players out of dangerous areas more frequently.

This change will make it more difficult to break dense defenses. The original "point-creating" benefits of continuous pressure in the middle will no longer exist, and the tactical focus may shift to crosses from the wing. In order to deal with the tough posture of the low defense, the offensive team may focus on quick and direct counterattacks to avoid allowing all opponents to retreat and deploy.

From a macro perspective, the number of goals may drop. Penalty kicks often force the Tie Tong team to press forward and attack. Without this leverage, the defense has no reason to take the initiative, and the game may become more conservative.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that Pierluigi Colina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, is also considering amending the football rules to prevent the rule of supplementary shots after the penalty kick is saved.

Directly or indirectly? The choice of free kicks in the penalty area

For non-penalty kick fouls, rule makers need to clarify the attributes of free kicks. If it is set as a direct free kick, since the defender needs to retreat 9.15 meters, this is still an excellent scoring opportunity. For heavy-hitting players such as Szoboszlai and B Fee, the rule adjustment may be counterproductive - they are fully capable of crossing the wall ten yards away and going straight to the blind corner.

If it is changed to an indirect free kick, it can effectively reduce the probability of scoring. Since Opta started counting this data in the 2015-16 season, there have been only 8 indirect free kicks in the penalty area in the Premier League, and none of them were converted into goals. After the number of goals is reduced in the initial stage, each team will surely develop its own tactics. Legendary striker Alan Shearer used his teammates' false moves to create defensive gaps and scored three indirect free kicks in the Premier League. His classic cases are still of reference value today.

Can the stopwatch system really end the waste of time?

The introduction of a stopwatch system with 60 minutes of effective game time is another hotly discussed proposal. But in reality, teams will still implement "tactical deceleration" by disrupting the rhythm of the game - which not only disrupts the opponent's offensive momentum, but also consumes the opponent's physical energy.

Although the stop-clock system can ensure the absolute length of the game, the team with strong possession of the ball will get more offensive opportunities. The current average effective game time in the Premier League is 55 minutes and 4 seconds. If the 60-minute stoppage system is implemented, the actual game length will increase. But we need to be wary of the NFL’s past mistakes: 60-minute games often last more than three hours. If football matches are also significantly extended due to various interruptions, the audience's attention may be distracted and the home field advantage may be weakened.

This reform aimed at improving the viewing experience may accidentally intensify the Matthew Effect of the strong Hengqiang, increase player season fatigue, and make the game length exceed the 90-100 minutes range that fans are familiar with.

Rule changes are always accompanied by unexpected endings

Football tactics and rules are always in a dynamic game. When a certain tactical system breaks the balance, rule adjustments will come into being, which will lead to a new round of tactical evolution. Although many reform ideas have innovative value, the complexity of football means that the chain reaction of any new rules in actual combat often exceeds the expectations of the makers and fans.