There is a reality that soccer is fun to play and boring to watch.If you observe American reality, basketball was transformed from the boring original game as much as football was, all for the excitement of the fans.
The NFL until the 1970's was a ground game of slow and boring low scoring nothingness. It was under Peter Rozell though that the rule changed and the NFL is still feeding off of that game in high scores and dynamic player movements.
Soccer requires such an American transformation, as the American mind is quite different from the European mind which likes to stand around and have Americans do things for them.
In that, these are the following changes for a fan based soccer which the world would then implement to produce a game that was not idiot rugby or cricket, but something which flows with excitement and allows the players to not stand around, but at the same time not running them into the ground over an empty field.
The first step is to shrink the field. It is far too large and close contact makes faster movement. I would submit perhaps a 60 yard field on which to play.
AS would have a kickoff by the goalie (name change as keeper is too proper for simple minds), and yes defenders could block on the run down the field. The goalie would kick off from the home soccer eye as you can see above.
His attempt would be for the other soccer eye, where if his team could catch the ball there, they would have a free zone to set up an offense, yes complete with blockers.
No I'm not speaking of knocking people down, but a basketball type pick and rolls to mix things up and keep players busy in a more physical form of play which would make for a robust game mingled with the intricate work of talented players in ball control as they wove through the traffic.
I allow players to catch the ball also in kicks as passes, to speed up the definition of the game, and they can on touches throw the ball in lateral passes to another member who can do the same. Laterals are key in this, otherwise the game would just be one big pass forward nonsense, and to advance one must have foot work.
In scoring, we have the three point shot from the soccer eye, as soccer needs more points to make things exciting. The net would also have a center for a three point score to reward precision, one point for the outer net, and two points for a bank shot off the white pylons.
Also, players could throw the ball in to the net for one point to increase the dynamics, on a special play of bouncing the ball hard off the turf or juggling it with their feet and then using their fist to punch the ball in.
Also, the arena would have a solid wall around it for the purpose of using bank shots to angle the ball to other players. The entire arena would be a 13th man or woman, as I believe that 12 players in the two teams would be about right, with a 24 person roster, in substitutions taking place on penalties, scoring or time outs when the team was in control over the ball.
Upon failed attempted scoring the goalie would then choose to kick or throw the ball to the center soccer eye, which again would be a free zone, for the team to set up a play in order to attempt a score.
This type of set play look would give fans the semblance of order in their minds of "things happening" to build anticipation, as soccer like hockey is one continuous motion, and there must be a break in that for the mind to relax and build again to a climax.
Basketball sets on the key and football on the possession, there of course would be time limits on the free zones so teams could not run out the clock.
Soccer has tried to become something more in limited venues, but the fact is that internationalism is what holds it back from developing. By this, I mean in American sports, basketball, football, hockey and somewhat baseball, the game is a chaotic mix that fans making noise and players doing distracting things add to the game.
On the opposite is golf, tennis and soccer which are European in nature in things must be quiet or bad behavior is protected, because there is really no way to retaliate effectively to keep people from behaving badly.
Getting an elbow to your nose in basketball, a concussion in football or a baseball through at your head in the batting box, sort of gets one's attention and keeps things more honest to stop the bully factor from forming.
Soccer in that way has artists who play the game, but also attracts a 90% majority of other sport washouts who realize, "Hey I can play dirty, mouth off, bully others and make this my little despotry, because no one is going to be able to retaliate effectively."
A lateral thrown ball into some bullies head at 70 miles per hour would send a message and be quite legal, a much as blockers accidentally knocking down a bully and stepping on his testicles while running by.
Adding this dimension to soccer would also keep the fans from going violent as is the case in Europe, because they become frustrated as hell in watching bullying and their team not being able to do anything without being penalized.
Accidentally knocking down a jerk or pasting him with a ball, would of course cost the team with the ball in possession, but at least everyone would know the penalties would be worth the cost as much as a blatant foul in basketball or a chop block in football, to a wasted pitch in baseball thrown at some one's head.
When sports become American, they do better in fair play and creativeness. The Eurasian mind though likes this feudal caste system where bad behavior is coddled just beneath the surface, and in America this is producing thee worst of destruction for our children in mouthy bullies are being kept around who hurt other people in the game.
Make soccer a mix of skill, tactical brawn, speed, scoring and American fairness, and it will really be a game which will be fun to watch and even more fun to play, as if players are not running their legs off over barren ground, they will have more energy to produce stunning plays, which in turn gives the excitement fans are looking for.
Pete Rozell turned a million dollar football franchise of a few teams, whose players used to sell used cars in the off season to make a living to this billion dollar a team, economic powerhouse which is a form of entertainment today.
Soccer can have the same venue and would supplant basketball and baseball for the number two spot, and if it would keep at it, in the boredom that the NFL now reigns at, it could in this Americanized version actually be the American sport most were watching.
You have my number professional soccer......well no you do not, but give me an email and I will make soccer into an industry for the world, as once fans started seeing this brand of soccer they would be demanding rule changes, as it is an empire age, and nations are looking for a little bit more rough and tumble, instead of the subtle bullying which is this world game.
agtG
