Best ways to decide games

I think they should play a quarter of a different sport entirely. Oh, you tied in soccer? Well let's see which group of you is better at basketball. Or cricket. Or competitive lawn mowing. We could even have a spinning wheel of (sudden) death choose the sport.

Or better yet, empty the benches in OT. Play 22-on-22. The strategy becomes, do you put all three keepers in net, and make scoring even less possible, or keep only the one back and attack with 21 players?

Or maybe we allow unlimited goalie substitutions. Like hockey, you can pull the GK for an extra attacker as much as you wish.

But my best idea - judges. After two OTs, a panel of judges decides which team played the best game - best passing, most intricate ball handling, least flopping - and they score a winner, like figure skating. I really think this is the solution...

 

Trial by combat.

(Is that joke taken? Didn't read the whole thread.)

 

Nah, this guy would cause games to last too long because blood forces an official's timeout ever since Magic Johnson had to retire.

 

I honestly can't remember all the details, but as someone already mentioned, instead of fostering more attack, it caused teams to bunker down and just play for penalties because they were scared to lose on one kick.

 

Replays were traditionally a big part of the FA Cup.

 

That happened in the Aussie Rules Football Grand Final a few years back. Game was tied in regulation, so they replayed it next week.

 

I despise games decided on PKs more than anything in soccer. But I don't really see a solution. I loved the golden goal, but as has been noted, it actually led to a more defensive-minded game. Ideally, I want them to play until someone wins on the field. But with the fatigue factor I'm not sure that is possible. I think it would be with unlimited substitution, but I'm not sure I want to see every player on the field stretching cramped legs every 45 seconds. But the NHL playoff model is the best thing going. I'm just not sure it's feasible in soccer.

 

Unless he's an SEC football player who can't read.

 

Or you could do like high school football in some states and settle a tie based on "penetrations", or some other statistical measure.

I'm sort of hoping that Belgium beats the US on a disputed penalty kick on Tuesday just to get more people in an uproar.

 

Maybe instead of a penalty shootout, do a set-piece shootout from the top of the box with all 22 on the pitch. Best of five, just like PKs. Once a non-goalie defender touches the ball, play is dead.

 

The final of the 1968 European Championship was decided in a replay. Unfortunately, because of the scheduling conflicts mentioned, when there was a tie in one of the semifinals, it was settled by a coin toss.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_1968

 

It's pretty realistic with hockey, since that's the way the NHL does it.