Would love to see an experimental soccer league or some "friendly" matches try out some of the ideas such as modifying Offsides or playing overtimes with less players (like the NHL is doing). Maybe even widen the goals.

 

Heck the NBA and NFL and MLB change rules all the time but for some reason it seems like any attempt to try something new is immediately dismissed by the soccer rulers.

Would love to see an experimental soccer league or some "friendly" matches try out some of the ideas such as modifying Offsides or playing overtimes with less players (like the NHL is doing). Maybe even widen the goals.

 

Heck the NBA and NFL and MLB change rules all the time but for some reason it seems like any attempt to try something new is immediately dismissed by the soccer rulers.

 

What people fail to realize, is soccer isn't our game. It is an international game governed by an international body (FIFA). It's not up to "us" to change the rules. The NBA/MLB/NFL are American sports; soccer isn't.

What people fail to realize, is soccer isn't our game. It is an international game governed by an international body (FIFA). It's not up to "us" to change the rules. The NBA/MLB/NFL are American sports; soccer isn't.

 

And, right there, you may have hit on a major reason why, despite predictions otherwise over the past few decades, it still hasn't gotten very big in the U.S.

What people fail to realize, is soccer isn't our game. It is an international game governed by an international body (FIFA). It's not up to "us" to change the rules. The NBA/MLB/NFL are American sports; soccer isn't.

 

Basketball is "our game" and there are different rules for the international game then in the US. The Canadian version of football is different then American. If they don't want to change the game in Buttsalvakia they don't have to.

Basketball is "our game" and there are different rules for the international game then in the US. The Canadian version of football is different then American. If they don't want to change the game in Buttsalvakia they don't have to.

 

I vacationed there once, it was nice.

Would love to see an experimental soccer league or some "friendly" matches try out some of the ideas such as modifying Offsides or playing overtimes with less players (like the NHL is doing). Maybe even widen the goals.

 

Heck the NBA and NFL and MLB change rules all the time but for some reason it seems like any attempt to try something new is immediately dismissed by the soccer rulers.

 

Overtime at 10 v 10 and then 9 v 9 seems a lot more realistic than a penalty shootout.

Overtime at 10 v 10 and then 9 v 9 seems a lot more realistic than a penalty shootout.

 

I loathe penalty shootouts as a way to decide a game. I could see a reduction in the number of players as an interesting way to try and generate a winner in the extra time periods.

If you want to americanize soccer and raise scoring then remove the off sides penalty.

The problem with changing the rules of the American game is that so much of soccer's popularity rests on success at the international level. Can't have our youth teams and domestic pros playing with a set of rules that significantly alters the game if we want them to be competitive when it comes time to hit the world stage every fourth summer.

The problem with changing the rules of the American game is that so much of soccer's popularity rests on success at the international level. Can't have our youth teams and domestic pros playing with a set of rules that significantly alters the game if we want them to be competitive when it comes time to hit the world stage every fourth summer.

 

That was what I was trying to say in post #122

I'd love to see it in the spring also. For whatever reason, at least in the south, I think Kentucky is the only state where high school soccer season is in the fall. I think you'd see a good deal of football kids playing soccer and vice versa & I couldn't think of a better sport to compliment each other.

 

In these rural, county schools that have started soccer..their football programs have taken a hit. I don't know the first thing about soccer, except for a couple things & the first is...if you or your team is good, then you better be able to run. Like football, the game for sure isn't played in a telephone booth.

 

You look out there and see 20-30 kids playing soccer and not just 20-30 kids, but 20-30 lean, athletic looking kids who can run decent. Fact is, at a lot of these rural places, there just aren't many kids walking the halls like that. Now, do all 20-30 of them play? Nope. But, I bet that without soccer, there would be 5-15 of them. 5-15 that could help out immensely on the football field.

 

Wild guess, but I will say 10% of soccer players would play football if the seasons were different. I think the vast majority of soccer players want no part of football, whether it be the hitting, fear of injury, parental nudging/pressure or whatever.

 

Playing soccer is more fun in a lot of ways. In the spring, what is more fun - playing club soccer or hitting the weights and running? There isn't much fun in the latter for most people. It is work much more than it is fun.

Wild guess, but I will say 10% of soccer players would play football if the seasons were different. I think the vast majority of soccer players want no part of football, whether it be the hitting, fear of injury, parental nudging/pressure or whatever.

 

I'm not sure if it would even be that many. And that's not meant to be a knock on soccer players. I may think soccer players and football players are two different kinds of athletes.

 

I think switching soccer to spring would hurt baseball more than it helped football

I'm not sure if it would even be that many. And that's not meant to be a knock on soccer players. I may think soccer players and football players are two different kinds of athletes.

 

The kids who play soccer are running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs. If a football team doesn't platoon, there are 4-6 players who will fill those starting positions. On the soccer team, another 10 kids who would not start in football get to start and play most of the game.

Not sure if its been said on this thread yet, but here it goes. As a high school AD for quite some time in my former life, Lacrosse stole more football players than soccer ever did.

 

The entire club Lacrosse team @ my school was comprised of disenchanted football players & no way around it well off kids whose parents had $$$.

 

the majority of the time a soccer kid pulled double duty and was the kicker and or punter for our football team.

I'm not sure if it would even be that many. And that's not meant to be a knock on soccer players. I may think soccer players and football players are two different kinds of athletes.

 

I think switching soccer to spring would hurt baseball more than it helped football

 

I disagree, @ least in the metro areas. Soccer players are playing club soccer during the spring, they dont even go near a baseball field.

 

I coached baseball in Lexington for nearly 5 years @ the high school level & we never had 1 soccer player come out for the baseball team, they all played club soccer.