As a football fan, it’s been depressing to see how the new rules affect how players defend. For example, to avoid handballs, players are now placing their hands behind their backs looking like a bunch of chicken chasing after a ball. We can all agree that it’s unfair to the defenders because it affects their balance.
I remember the 2019 UCL Final between Liverpool and Tottenham. Sadio Mane receives the ball on the wing and faces Sissoko 1-v-1. Sissoko is like, I got this, and points with his hand to show that the defenders can get back. Mane tries to cross and it hits the hand that Sissoko is using to signal. Alas. Penalty given. 25 seconds in. Penalty. Cue one of the most boring finals ever.
I’ve been thinking about it and came up with some updates to the rules:
- Penalties should not be awarded for ball-to-hand fouls where the ball was not going to go in anyway. I’m looking at you Man-U and the penalty that was given to kick Neymar’s PSG out of the UCL in the 2019 Champions League.
- If the player could have avoided the handball while running normally, then we can give a penalty.
- Clear offside decisions only. Fans should be allowed to vote about whether an offside decision should stand. Show us a photo and away with the squiggly lines. (Won’t be accepted but thought I could try)
This new variant of football, football-19, should be reverted or we could at least get a vaccine. I want my football back.