Rule changes to the Beautiful Game

The Covid Cup tournament (I can't call it by the name MLS uses) is such a "one-off" that it really doesn't seem to be a true representation of the quality of teams- I mean Atlanta going home with NO GOALS SCORED? It's difficult to get into it because of this. OTOH, it is all we have, so I guess we have to live with it and hope for the best.

Regarding the rule changes. I like the 5 sub rule, as it gives coaches more discretion. For instance with five subs, you still have a chance to make "tactical" subs if you suffer injury to a player or two. I always felt it was too bad when a coach would be forced to sub players that might not affect the match in their favor (unless of course it was the Timbers).

I don't like the water break rule being used outside of high temperature/humidity. I still think this should only be done when it is too hot. Why? Because it's basically a "time out", which IMO changes the game. Now, I know coaches would love it. I've noticed that in play here and in the Premier League that goals have been scored immediately after such breaks. One wonders how much a little extra coaching might have played a factor.

The temporary sub rule is intriguing and has some merit I think. I just hope that if it is implemented, it doesn't become something that is abused. You know managers/coaches- they will find a way to use any rule to their advantage.

Regarding the hand ball rules- one ruling that had an effect in today's CHI-VAN match was when a Chicago player bundled the ball into the goal using his arm that might perhaps have been called unintentional previously (although it was pretty obvious on replay). I do wonder about handballs where a shot is taken right next to the offending player, such as the one by Altidore vs. NER. I wonder if that should have been called if we are not supposed to take "intention" into account, since I doubt the player could have gotten his hand out of the way.

The obvious issue is that all of these changes slow the game down. The speed of the game is one of the things I love.

I hate the five subs rule. Basketball is unwatchable for me because what should be the most exciting part - the last few minutes - is an interminable slog through timeouts, fouls, and free throws. Five subs will have the same effects in soccer, as the manager looks to protect a 1-0 lead with a series of meaningless subs to interrupt the opponent's attacking momentum. Don't even get me started on the amount of BS we'll see from CCL teams if this 10 minute temporary sub rule goes into effect.

I do not like the five subs rule. It doesn’t slow the match down since they can only come on in three windows. The reason I don’t like it is because half the field players can be rotated out. Okay that’s not even really it. I think the real reason I’m not really a fan is because of how the rule really benefits wealthy clubs—they can afford better talent on the bench, so they don’t lose as much when rotating subs. This is less a problem in MLS because of the salary cap (though if the rule sticks around, the league would need to adjust the cap accordingly), but is clear as crystal watching the Prem, Bundesliga, or Serie A.

I had read somewhere that FIFA was thinking about allowing one emergency injury substitution if a team had used all three subs already. But there were no details on how that would not be abused. The only way I could see it not being abused is requiring the subbed-out player miss the club’s next league match. This would deincentivize cheating.

For the temporary concussion sub, for one, it seems rather ridiculous to put a 10-minute limit on the evaluation of the injured player. Concussions can go undetected for hours and even days; sure the obvious ones when a player gets up and has noodle legs or when a player briefly loses consciousness are dangerous, but the concussions whose symptoms manifest later are more dangerous. For those reasons, I believe the temp sub rule proposal is useless. Instead of 10 minutes, if a player has a suspected concussion then sub the player out with an emergency injury sub. But then how many do teams get? There have been numerous instances in recent memory when multiple players on one team suffer head injuries. What then? Rugby allows for a player subbed out for suspected concussion to return if they pass protocols; there is no time limit, so doctors don’t have to rush to reach a determination. And, as other have asked, how do we prevent cheating—abusing the rules? Maybe the solution is to keep the five subs but allow one of the five outside the three windows in case of injury, but if all five subs have been used then you’re out of luck.

It’s tricky. And nothing that gets implemented will be perfect.

This is straight from the IFAB rulebook website:

I'll also go ahead and say that using VAR to call a goal offside by an inch isn't a "clear and obvious" error by the assistant referee. I'd be in favor of a margin of error limit. Not only is it tough to estimate the offside position but also to time exactly when the passer releases the ball and match it with the position...it's not always precise. Margin of error is needed, even if it's a small window.