On to the penalty area: will time penalties bring about the football revolution?

The time penalties are intended for intentional or particularly unsportsmanlike violations and the exclusion of a player for a certain number of minutes. For example, you want to put an end to the endless complaining to the referee. The time penalties have already been tested in lower English amateur competitions and have had an impact. If the new rule is adopted at the next IFAB annual meeting in March 2024, it could be tested from next season.

So putting football players in the penalty area like in ice hockey or handball? Previously unthinkable. It is not yet clear what exactly the project will look like. Regulators say protocols and a testing system are currently being developed. “We have to develop something that works and is worthy of top football,” is clear to Pierluigi Collina (63), FIFA’s chief referee.

Sensitivity in the design!

I like the idea behind it. But you have to be careful that you choose the right system and don’t go overboard. I believe that time penalties should only be applied for unsportsmanlike behavior, such as excessive complaining. I also see a big chance with the swallowing problem. Imagine that each swallow is punished with a certain time penalty. Then I want to see how many players still fall theatrically on the ground and roll around at every opportunity.

If implemented incorrectly, yellow and red cards can lose their value. Because in my opinion, when making ‘conventional’ mistakes during the game, you should stick to the original rules and card system. This also applies to abuse or insult. Sensitivity in design is required!

Will the captain soon be the only one who consults?

The time penalties are not the only rule changes under discussion. Another suggestion that I really like: soon only the captain of a certain team will be allowed to complain to the referee. In this way they want to combat the problem with the constant clusters of players around the referees. A problem that always irritates the classic football fan. Furthermore, the role of captain, which I think has lost some of its importance in modern football, would become more important again and come with greater responsibility. Perhaps one or two clubs would then reconsider their choice of captain. After all, it is not exactly the biggest hothead who has to form the link between referee and player.

Another point that the rules want to combat is the time game. The “interruptions in the pace of play” must be reduced. Of course, football ultimately has to adapt to changing times and, as we all know, the patience of my Generation Z is getting shorter and shorter. Many of my peers no longer watch entire games, but only the highlights on YouTube. It’s much faster and easier. But I digress. With stoppage time already revolutionized, more attention now needs to be paid to injury management, delaying restarts and, now that all goalkeepers need to be strong, the six-second rule for goalkeepers. Less timed games, more football. Sounds good.

No to net playing time

One possible rule change that I don’t support at all is the introduction of net playing time. This means: A game lasts 60 minutes and at every interruption the clock is stopped. After the 60 minutes have passed, the game is over. I’m just too much of a traditionalist for that. Moreover, a lot of drama would be lost, as many matches are ultimately only decided in stoppage time. Sports such as ice hockey, basketball and football already have sufficient net playing times, so football does not have to participate. The rules officials also seemed to see it this way: at this year’s annual meeting, the net playing time was (temporarily) rejected.

The long-standing fans must also accept that football is always changing and will continue to change more and more in the future. Whether they want it or not.