‘Noooooo!’ echoes across the pitch as a member of The Knickerbockers attempts to throw in the ball. With the new rules created by sports statistician and RUG professor Gerard Sierksma, the throw in has been replaced by a ‘roll in’. Nevertheless, players on both teams fall back into the ‘old’ ways automatically. The student quickly corrects his mistake and places the ball on the ground.
Sierksma is a firm believer: ‘Modern football is boring. Just look around you: in the stadiums of big football clubs like FC Groningen and sc Heerenveen, there are ever more empty seats. Goals are rare, so the entertainment value is in decline. Young people choose to stay home and play their FIFA video games rather than seeing it live in the stands.’
Better
New game rules should make the sport more appealing and therefore better. Sierksma’s list: The keeper cannot hold the ball between his body and the ground; returning the ball to the keeper is no longer allowed; with each yellow card comes a time penalty; there are unlimited substitutions; a throw in (now roll in) and free kick do not have to be directed to another player or the goal; and offside in the box no longer exists if there are at least two members of the opposite team in the box.
Sports fan Sierksma came up with the rules by observing a lot of matches. ‘I looked at what is currently lacking. It’s very simple: goals. By preventing the keeper from catching the ball, he has to punch it away more often and there are more rebounds. We calculated that there are 30 per cent more goals per match as a result. Whereas the average number of goals per match now is two, this change means 3.5 goals per match.’
No massive scores
The match between Groen Geel and The Knickerbockers ends 3-1 and meets Sierksma’s expectations: ‘There are no massive scores and the game is not dramatically changed. That’s a good thing. Because you can play the ball yourself when rolling it in, the tempo was much faster. And the rebounds also led to a lot of good interactions. The 2-1 was a result of a counter attack after the keeper batted the ball away.’
The first test is done, but will the traditionally conservative football world actually do anything with the results? ‘I hope so. Something is brewing. Marco van Basten was appointed by FIFA to focus on increasing innovation, so signs that renewal has a place in football are positive. Our experiment also deserves a follow up. Maybe Groningen versus Heerenveen?’ Sierksma suggests.
That is probably unlikely. In the past, the Royal Dutch Football Association (Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond, KNVB) forbade a test match which experimented with playing without the offside rule (between Veendam and Emmen). In the canteen of the Groen Geel team, they were already brainstorming: ‘If it’s not possible with professional clubs, there is surely some sort of alternative.’ One fan makes a suggestion: ‘Maybe a match among former members of the national team?’
What do PEC Zwolle train Ron Jans, FC Groningen keeper Sergio Padt and Football Inside (Voetbal Inside) presenter Wilfred Genee think about innovation in the world of football?
Coach Ron Jans
‘I definitely think that a few things should change. Time penalties sound like a great idea, and more frequent substitutions would also be a welcome change. I’m especially a fan of the idea of regulative playing time. Stalling is so annoying, the game is just dead sometimes. Not allowing the keeper to catch the ball is a bit much. Will it be implemented in reality? The KNVB is open to experiments, but it’s ultimately up to FIFA. The fact that Van Basten has been appointed indicates that there may be some movement in that direction. It could take two to three years to implement certain rules, but as I see it, if everyone supports the idea, then it should be adopted more quickly.’
Keeper Sergio Padt
‘Roughly ten years ago, it was still allowed to pick up the ball. Thankfully, I didn’t have to go through that changeover myself. I think that once something is in your system, like catching the ball, it takes time to get used to that no longer being allowed. I also think it’s a weird rule. But I do think that it’s always good to consider possible changes, especially if it makes football more appealing for the fans. But any changes have to offer some added value.’
TV presenter Wilfred Genee
‘Stadiums in the Eredivisie (the primary football competition in the Netherlands, ed.) are usually packed, according to recent research. The fact that people attend lower level games less frequently may have something to do with the fact that there is so much football to follow now. Look at Thursday’s schedule, for example: on RTL, we broadcast an unbelievable amount of Europa League reports. I’m personally a proponent of effective playing time, for example two halves lasting half an hour each. But I’m sceptical because of FIFA’s conservatism. Van Basten’s hiring is promising, but I think that he may step down within a year because the task could prove to be too much.’
Curious about the match that had the most goals ever? Check out this match between Australia and Samoa, with a final score of 31-0.