29 Mar 2026 12:35:34
Ideas for next season.
Time limit say 8 seconds on throw ins.
Retrospective cards/bans on players diving.
Something to be done on keepers pretending to be injured but I’m unsure what?
And finally Leeds to hire a new manager!

1.) 29 Mar 2026
29 Mar 2026 13:43:35
And all subs on 60 min unless real injury and miss a game.
Gk injured off for a minute before allowed back on.

2.) 29 Mar 2026
29 Mar 2026 13:58:47
Learn lessons from other sports;

Hockey - ball hits your foot, accidentally or otherwise, it's a free kick/penalty to the opposition (we adopt that approach to any handball situations) .

Rugby - player gets injured, play continues regardless. The physio/trainer comes on and sorts him out, whilst the rest get on with the game (apply the same approach in football - only those who are genuinely injured will stay down) .

Rugby (and most other sports for that matter) - only the captain can approach the ref, and has to call him 'sir'. No one else allowed within 510 metres unless summoned by the ref (this was supposed to be happening in football, but we've slipped back into our old ways with half a dozen players standing around the ref every time something goes against them) .



Re-introduce the practice adopted by UEFA a few years ago of having an extra official behind the goals watching out for pushing/pulling/grappling offences when corners or free kicks are being taken - VAR are useless at spotting them, needs a man on the ground looking out for such offences.

There's probably a lot more, but that's enough food for thought for now.

3.) 29 Mar 2026
29 Mar 2026 14:11:40
Some great ideas, and I agree that the game can learn a lot from other sports, but the power people seem too stubborn or blinkered to accept that fact!
The GK faking injury to allow a team talk can be easily rectified by a liner / 4th official doing his bloody job!

4.) 29 Mar 2026
29 Mar 2026 14:11:58
That should read 5/10 metres, not 510! That would be halfway across the car park. :)

5.) 29 Mar 2026
29 Mar 2026 14:32:25
Excellent suggestions, Cleggy.

6.) 29 Mar 2026
29 Mar 2026 15:47:18
Corkey, keeper faking injury will have to go off the field as any other player. A team member will have to step in until the keeper is back on the field, and will have to enter the field of play from the halfway line.

Once he is back on the field, the stand-in player will not be able to touch the ball with his hands. This will stop the cheating, as that's what they are doing. This will stop overnight.

7.) 29 Mar 2026
29 Mar 2026 16:18:31
Biggest one for me, timekeeping. Take it from the ref, all together, copy rugby: stop clock for all injuries, and ball out of play above 30 secs.

And, just for the crack, keep playing until the ball goes out of play after the buzzer for the final time has sounded.

8.) 29 Mar 2026
29 Mar 2026 16:40:36
Imho, there are a few things they can do.

Consistency in offside being flagged, blatant rugby tackles at set pieces.

Handball is handball, but the problem with that is players will be flicking the ball into opponents' arms every chance they get.

Make VAR an extra official just like the TMO in rugby, and open the ref's mic so that we can all hear the language the little boys are using.



They are proposing 6 seconds for throw-ins. It starts when a player picks up the ball.

And, of course, a new dynamic manager for the Peacocks.

9.) 30 Mar 2026
30 Mar 2026 11:21:24
Some interesting rule updates for the World Cup, some of which address the above:
- Five-second countdown on throw-ins and goal kicks
- Substitutions must take 10 seconds or less
- Injured players must leave the field for at least a minute
- Video Assistant Referee (VAR) can now review second yellow cards and corner kicks

Of course it remains to be seen if they are consistently implemented.

10.) 30 Mar 2026
30 Mar 2026 14:27:13
1. Any grappling in the box that's not worthy of awarding a penalty should still get a yellow card. A few repeat offenders getting second yellows would soon force a change in tactics.
2. Judge offsides with a "clear daylight" gap based solely on the position of the torso, so getting rid of those stupid offside by fingertip or toenail incidents. Consider limiting them to a zone 18 yards from the goal line, by extending the edge of the penalty box right across the pitch.
3. Restore the handball rule to its original intention of only penalising deliberate contacts, not unintentional ones, and get rid of all the nonsense about arms being in a "unnatural" position.
4. Appoint dedicated timekeepers to log time to be added on based on breaks in play as signalled by the referee. Added on time to be displayed on a screen at the end of normal time, a hooter sounded when time is up, and play ending when the ball next goes out of play.

This works fine in Rugby League.
5. Limit VAR decisions to 1 minute. If a ruling can't be made in that time, the on-field decision stands, and add ex-professionals to the VAR team, to get a players' perspective on incidents. Also allow a limited number of "coach's challenges" for VAR to rule on, say one per half and one more if there's extra time. Challenges to be retained if successful, or forfeit if unsuccessful.
6. Simulation in the opposition penalty box to try to win a penalty to be a mandatory red card offence.
7. Stop giving drop balls when the ball hits the referee. He is part of the field of play, so just play on.
8. Finally, and most importantly, referees should make themselves available after every match to answer questions from the media and explain their decisions.

11.) 30 Mar 2026
30 Mar 2026 19:21:54
Love 6 and 8, JR.