Posted on 03/29/2021 12:49:09 AM PDT by nickcarraway
1. In most areas, this "most popular sport among American kids" (soccer) is almost exclusively played by kids who are dragged to practices and games by their parents. You see hordes of these kids playing soccer on any given Saturday morning in suburban areas all over the U.S.
2. I see city kids (and adults) playing basketball on playgrounds at all hours of the day and night. I see kids playing street hockey in suburban areas and ice hockey on frozen ponds out in the country. The numbers are definitely declining, but I've seen kids playing football and baseball on their own in parks and playgrounds regularly over the years. But outside of areas with heavy immigrant populations, I've hardly ever seen kids playing soccer on their own without their parents around.
I think that says a lot about why soccer has had such a hard time growing in popularity in the U.S. at the adult level. Most kids who play soccer really don't love to play it.
1. Loosen the substitution rules. A hundred years ago, ice hockey used to have limited-substitution rules just like baseball and soccer. It was a much slower game back then. Allowing unlimited substitutions turned it into a frenetic, action-packed game that puts all other major sports to shame.
2. Consider adopting penalty rules that force teams to play shorthanded for 4-6 minutes at a time when a player is penalized. That might help generate more offensive chances on the field.
3. Get rid of the stupid running clock time that makes soccer a Stone Age sport. Having the clock run when the ball is not in play is one characteristic soccer shares with American football that makes them two of the dumbest sports ever invented. Play the game in two 30-minute halves and stop the clock whenever the whistle is blown.
I like #’s 1 & 3.
Not sure about #2.
The play time for the game is about 35 minutes anyways when you subtract out all of the out-of-bounds balls, delays, fouls, fake injuries, and everything else.
Good post!
:-)
I do love playing the game, especially that kind of game. Or I did back when I could still run, (I'm 64), but watching on TV is frustrating. The play always develops off-screen. This is not as bad with football, but you'll notice that in both the analysis involves the experts looking at a very wide angle shot.
Your three rule changes would transform it into an already existing different game.
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