It seems as though not a month goes by without someone in one division or another complaining that their team has been hard done by becayse of a poor referring decision and then advocates the introduction of goal line technology. This is a more than valid belief, and more and more people are failing to find any reasons why not to go ahead with this technology, even if UEFA want to keep adding to the amount of officials until there is more on the pitch than players.
However, football is not and will not be perfect with the introduction of goal line technology. Changes need to happen to push football forward, both on and off the pitch. Here are five alternative changes that may (and may not) improve football: No injury time, salary structures, medical technology, the Athletic Bilbao rule and community ownership.
These five all have their own merits and drawbacks depending on your perspective and these are not all necessarily changes but rather a more universal acceptance of success stories from other leagues.
Changing the rules of injury time seems the most common sense. In no other professional team sport is there “injury” or “additional time” added to the set time of the match to account for stoppages. There is no reason why football should be any different and no feasible explanation why the referee cannot stop the clock any time there is a stoppage in play.
This would eliminate the opportunity for any manager to complain the referee gave too much injury and allowed the other team to score, and lets face it any non-Man Utd supporter will be glad to see an end to Fergie pointing to his watch when he decides the game should have ended.
Anyone who has seen their team lose out on three points because of a goal late into injury time will certainly be pleased not to suffer such an unfortunate ending to a game in the future. Alternatively, you can look at this and say the excitement of an injury time goal will be lost and cite Man Utd’s Champions League victory over Bayern Munich as a classic example.
In terms of a change to the salary structures of football a standard salary cap may not be the best way forward for the top divisions in football. Rather, the introduction of an MLS style salary structure with Designated Players may be the best way forward, especially with regards to the Premier League and La Liga.
Nicknamed the “Beckham rule” the system was designed to stop clubs from overpaying on salaries to superstar players in order to assert financial dominance on the league and to ensure American players still had the chance to make it at the biggest sides. This system also ensures the MLS sides have the opportunity to compete on a relatively even playing field. Each side can have a maximum of three designated players who are exempt from the salary cap.
Integrating this system throughout football, especially in England, would enable clubs like Wigan to compete more fairly with Man City and Chelsea, and would force managers with bigger budgets to think through expensively signed players a little more carefully, knowing they will occupy one of three precious places in the side. I’m sure Arsenal would be the first to accept such a change and may finally end their wait for a trophy.
The third change suggested to football is more of an advancement than a change. With the emphasis of late been on pushing through goal line technology, with the latest from FIFA being that the World Cup in 2014 will use the technology, other forms of technological advancement are often overlooked.