Problems with Soccer (Football) from an American Standpoint

by RubaDub 51 Replies latest social physical

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  RubaDub

  So as not to hijack another thread, just a few comments on why we (Americans) find that Soccer is generally a boring game to watch.

  1. Lack of scoring: American football adjusts the rules periodically so that each team averages around 3 touchdowns per game. Basketball added the three-point line to encourage more scoring. Even traditional baseball has tweaked the rules to encourage more scoring. Solution: Make the Soccer goal about a meter (yard) wider.

  2. Game clock: Every other sport uses a real-time live clock so viewers, and the players, can see exactly how much time remains in the game. But Soccer has the referee looking at his watch periodically to determine how much time is left. This is crazy. If a player is injured, the referee should simply stop the game clock. That's it! They do it in every other sport I can think of that uses a game clock. The mystery "additional time" added by the referee is nuts.

  3. Number of referees: Soccer uses 3 on field and 2 off field. On a slightly smaller field, American football uses twice as many.

  4. Faking injuries: The referees should review the game afterwards as they do in American football. When some it taking a dive and faking an injury, they should be suspended for 3 or more games. That would end that crap quickly!

  5. Instant replay: Why not have instant replay for questionable goals, off-sides leading to a goal or other game-changing events. Even traditional baseball now uses limited replays and is planning on expanding its use in the future. We simply don't like to see a game decided on an event that the referee could not see or called incorrectly.

  6. OFF-SIDES RULE: This one is my pet peeve. Why in the world is off-sides based on where the DEFENSE is? Why if the defense falls down or is stupid should the offense be affected? Plus, the "moving" off-sides rule makes it very difficult to correctly enforce. The referee needs to be looking at who is kicking the ball and at the same time, where the person(s) he is kicking to is located AT THE TIME THE BALL IS KICKED. In fact, the USA lost two goals in the first three games based on wrong off-sides calls. Solution: Use the approach used in ice hockey. Add two lines and enforce passes crossing two lines. Forget what the defense is doing, just don't allow two line passes.

  I could go on but these, in my mind, are the things that make Soccer difficult to watch, even though I really like the game.

  Rub a Dub
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  Darth plaugeis

  Haha I know just when you think this boring Game is OVER the ref pulls time out of ass and it keeps going on... when will it end? when the ref thinks so??? Hahaha let's see that happen with the Lakers and Celtics that would of went over great!
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  MsDucky

  Rubadub, I understand American football "off-sides". If someone jumps over the line before the quarterback says hike, he's off-side.

  I can't believe they let that guy lay on the ground running the clock down and he hadn't been fouled by anyone; and if he was seriously hurt/sick/what have you, they should of stopped the clock while he got attended to.

  I don't even think they stopped the clock when the team ran off the field to celebrate. What is that? Weird?
• 

  dgp

  4. Faking injuries: The referees should review the game afterwards as they do in American football. When some it taking a dive and faking an injury, they should be suspended for 3 or more games. That would end that crap quickly!

  5. Instant replay: Why not have instant replay for questionable goals, off-sides leading to a goal or other game-changing events. Even traditional baseball now uses limited replays and is planning on expanding its use in the future. We simply don't like to see a game decided on an event that the referee could not see or called incorrectly.

  I think soccer is the best sport in the world, but I agree with the two statements above.

  People like different things in different sports, but what Americans who don't like soccer miss is that it's way more difficult to score if you can't use your hands (big difference with respect to football or rugby), and, therefore, scoring many goals isn't something we expect. You also miss the strategy behind the game. You play in one way if you have the ball, and it's an absolutely different game if you don't have it. You always need to bear in mind that you don't have more than three options to change the game. You can play a perfect game, and then lose in less than one minute if the striker happens to be in the right place.

  Just for the sake of comment, some people complain that basketball is boring because you know they will be scoring eighty or more points in a game. Some Europeans I've met complain that they just can't understand what the left or right fielders do while the pitchter throws the ball. And many people don't understand why a sport, like football, should result in so many serious injuries and still be called "fun".
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  dgp

  Oh, and one more comment. Non-Americans never understood or liked the American practice of shootouts. So apparently even if you like the sport, the fact that you're American makes you understand the game very differently.
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  MsDucky

  dgp, footballers in England don't get serious injuries?
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  dgp

  They do, too, only they aren't wearing an armor. Think hockey.
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  MsDucky

  They do, too, only they aren't wearing an armor. Think hockey.

  I think like basketball. They don't wear armor.
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  dgp

  Point taken. But I was just making reference to how people like different things in different sports. I am sure that many people don't find chess any exciting. I wonder why it is that people watch car races, or golf. I can understand women's tennis because the girls look all right, but, what about men's tennis?
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  MsDucky

  dgp, I'm just trying to understand soccer *football*. I just started watching it, in depth, this World Cup. I'm not trying to condemn it. But, I do have to say that I really don't like the officiating of the game.