Changes In Football thread

[Franchise FC]

How about an unlimited number of teams in the play-offs, but each team has to be within 12* points of the first team to miss out on automatic ?

It’s about as sensible as most of the EFL ideas

*I picked 12, but it could be set at 8, 10, etc.

[Winston Biscuit]

FIFA has announced that, starting next season, the September and October international breaks will be combined into a single three-week break, from 21 September to 6 October (4 games).

[Clyde1998]

EFL in talks over expanding the Championship Play Offs to 6 teams

And apparently wanted to do it in L1/L2 as well but stalling on that as would likely need to go to 3 up/down with the National League.

Don't the PL have to agree to this as their competition will be impacted? I can't see them accepting a proposal where a team finishing 8th could get promotion.

Millwall lost 16 games and had a negative GD finishing 8th on 66pts - they would likely set all sort of records for being rubbish in the PL if promoted from there.

Keeping a 2 leg semi still seems overkill - will mean the season will need to finish a week earlier or there be a smaller gap between semis and final. which could be logistically painful.

A potential benefit could be is ensuring the battle for each place in the play-offs is meaningful, especially if you moved to single matches as a result of expansion, and the two highest ranked teams would play a match fewer.

The format would be (based on the National League; teams shown from last season):
QF1 - Coventry (5th) vs Millwall (8th) at Coventry
QF2 - Bristol City (6th) vs Blackburn (7th) at Bristol City

SF1 - Sheff Utd (3rd) vs QF2 winner at Sheff Utd
SF2 - Sunderland (4th) vs QF1 winner at Sunderland

F - SF1 winner vs SF2 winner at Wembley

However, you could move to that under the current four-team system (either one or two legs) - give a bye to the final for the side that comes third; a bye to the semis for the side finishing fourth and have fifth and sixth play in a quarter:

QF - Coventry (5th) vs Bristol City (6th)

SF - Sunderland (4th) vs QF winner

F - Sheff Utd (3rd) vs SF winner at Wembley

[Clyde1998]

FIFA has announced that, starting next season, the September and October international breaks will be combined into a single three-week break, from 21 September to 6 October (4 games).

Don't know if I like this or not. Certainly a big opportunity for the lower leagues to gain some exposure and get some bigger attendances in that break.

[Hendo]

FIFA has announced that, starting next season, the September and October international breaks will be combined into a single three-week break, from 21 September to 6 October (4 games).

Don't know if I like this or not. Certainly a big opportunity for the lower leagues to gain some exposure and get some bigger attendances in that break.

I think I like it, would rather 1 longer break than 2 breaks so close to each other.

Gives the international team more time together as well.

[Sutekh]

Don't know if I like this or not. Certainly a big opportunity for the lower leagues to gain some exposure and get some bigger attendances in that break.

I think I like it, would rather 1 longer break than 2 breaks so close to each other.

Gives the international team more time together as well.

Move it to August, before the season starts, and have the transfer window close at the end of it and then start the league season. Instead we’ll now get 2 Saturdays of postponed games, to have to rearrange, and three weeks of utter boredom when you’d rather be watching some footie of some interest.

[BRO_BOT]

Don't know if I like this or not. Certainly a big opportunity for the lower leagues to gain some exposure and get some bigger attendances in that break.

I think I like it, would rather 1 longer break than 2 breaks so close to each other.

Gives the international team more time together as well.

Move it to August, before the season starts, and have the transfer window close at the end of it and then start the league season. Instead we’ll now get 2 Saturdays of postponed games, to have to rearrange, and three weeks of utter boredom when you’d rather be watching some footie of some interest.

I prefer this more; might need some refinement

International break = w@nk

[Winston Biscuit]

hate international breaks

just play rock, paper, scissors to see who is in the next tournament and then have no international football for 2 years outside of the actual tournaments at all

[Royal Rother]

The 8 second rule for 'keepers seems to be working well.

Now time to introduce a time limit on taking stationary goalkicks as the farting about between defenders and 'keepers is getting a bit tiresome.

[Stranded]

Don't know if I like this or not. Certainly a big opportunity for the lower leagues to gain some exposure and get some bigger attendances in that break.

I think I like it, would rather 1 longer break than 2 breaks so close to each other.

Gives the international team more time together as well.

Move it to August, before the season starts, and have the transfer window close at the end of it and then start the league season. Instead we’ll now get 2 Saturdays of postponed games, to have to rearrange, and three weeks of utter boredom when you’d rather be watching some footie of some interest.

They won't move it to August as logistically it would be a nightmare and clubs would complain that it is disrupting their prep for the new season. If you played in August, what happens in a year with a tournament ending in July?

Final mid July, followed by internationals in mid-August with league starting in Sep - where do clubs get to spend any time to build in new signings/tactics etc?

I think 3 slightly longer windows are the best bet

Mid -Sep to early Oct
late Feb/March (just after the CL group stage finishes)
June/July

Each side plays up to 4 games in each window - longer gaps but less disruption allowing the club season to build momentum.

[Sutekh]

I think I like it, would rather 1 longer break than 2 breaks so close to each other.

Gives the international team more time together as well.

Move it to August, before the season starts, and have the transfer window close at the end of it and then start the league season. Instead we’ll now get 2 Saturdays of postponed games, to have to rearrange, and three weeks of utter boredom when you’d rather be watching some footie of some interest.

They won't move it to August as logistically it would be a nightmare and clubs would complain that it is disrupting their prep for the new season. If you played in August, what happens in a year with a tournament ending in July?

Final mid July, followed by internationals in mid-August with league starting in Sep - where do clubs get to spend any time to build in new signings/tactics etc?

I think 3 slightly longer windows are the best bet

Mid -Sep to early Oct
late Feb/March (just after the CL group stage finishes)
June/July

Each side plays up to 4 games in each window - longer gaps but less disruption allowing the club season to build momentum.

But in England at the moment it would be exactly the same as you say above only with the season starting in early-mid August so what’s actually worse?

The whole concept of close seasons and transfer windows need to be looked at and the stupid idea of increasing the size of finals tournaments (just so anyone who fails can have extra safety nets) needs to be dumped.

[Winston Biscuit]

why not go the opposite way and slip in international fixtures as midweek games and all club games have to be done by 5pm on the saturday before (many could be moved to the Friday night) at the latest and the they don't play again until Sunday the weekend after?

[Royal Rother]

why not go the opposite way and slip in international fixtures as midweek games and all club games have to be done by 5pm on the saturday before (many could be moved to the Friday night) at the latest and the they don't play again until Sunday the weekend after?

[Snowflake Royal]

I think I like it, would rather 1 longer break than 2 breaks so close to each other.

Gives the international team more time together as well.

Move it to August, before the season starts, and have the transfer window close at the end of it and then start the league season. Instead we’ll now get 2 Saturdays of postponed games, to have to rearrange, and three weeks of utter boredom when you’d rather be watching some footie of some interest.

They won't move it to August as logistically it would be a nightmare and clubs would complain that it is disrupting their prep for the new season. If you played in August, what happens in a year with a tournament ending in July?

Final mid July, followed by internationals in mid-August with league starting in Sep - where do clubs get to spend any time to build in new signings/tactics etc?

I think 3 slightly longer windows are the best bet

Mid -Sep to early Oct
late Feb/March (just after the CL group stage finishes)
June/July

Each side plays up to 4 games in each window - longer gaps but less disruption allowing the club season to build momentum.

What about move it to December and give everyone a summer/winter break.

[Winston Biscuit]

Create a 13th month in the football calendar (not the actual calendar) and put all the internationals there

[Clyde1998]

Don't know if I like this or not. Certainly a big opportunity for the lower leagues to gain some exposure and get some bigger attendances in that break.

I think I like it, would rather 1 longer break than 2 breaks so close to each other.

Gives the international team more time together as well.

Move it to August, before the season starts, and have the transfer window close at the end of it and then start the league season. Instead we’ll now get 2 Saturdays of postponed games, to have to rearrange, and three weeks of utter boredom when you’d rather be watching some footie of some interest.

August also wouldn't really work as teams from basically every country in Europe would have started playing Champions League; Europa League or Conference League qualifiers in July (some in June).

[Sutekh]

I think I like it, would rather 1 longer break than 2 breaks so close to each other.

Gives the international team more time together as well.

Move it to August, before the season starts, and have the transfer window close at the end of it and then start the league season. Instead we’ll now get 2 Saturdays of postponed games, to have to rearrange, and three weeks of utter boredom when you’d rather be watching some footie of some interest.

August also wouldn't really work as teams from basically every country in Europe would have started playing Champions League; Europa League or Conference League qualifiers in July (some in June).

It seems the whole calendar is a mess now due to greed of everyone from the various FAs down. The whole lot needs to be reset - and the clubs with it.

[Stranded]

Move it to August, before the season starts, and have the transfer window close at the end of it and then start the league season. Instead we’ll now get 2 Saturdays of postponed games, to have to rearrange, and three weeks of utter boredom when you’d rather be watching some footie of some interest.

August also wouldn't really work as teams from basically every country in Europe would have started playing Champions League; Europa League or Conference League qualifiers in July (some in June).

It seems the whole calendar is a mess now due to greed of everyone from the various FAs down. The whole lot needs to be reset - and the clubs with it.

It's the same in any sport though - rugby is a hell of a lot worse. That is a sport crying out for a global calendar even more than football is.

Football has problems but at least all players get released to play the internationals - in rugby, it's nearly impossible for a smaller nation to pick their better players as the clubs just won't let them go.

[Royal Rother]

Something needs to be done to stop ‘keepers feigning injury with 10 mins to go just so the managers can get a tactical chat in with the players.

I get that refs can’t take a chance but the managers should not be allowed to talk to the players. Move them over to the other side of the pitch.

That will miraculously cure 99% of all “injuries” to ‘keepers (and stop me getting pissed off every bloody game).

[WestYorksRoyal]

Currently time wasting is punished by a yellow card which many think is worth it.

I'd punish it by a turnover of possession. Give the throw in or FK to the opposing team. Replace a GK with a corner etc. Much bigger deterrent.