Back pass, offside, golden goal, VAR et al, all part of evolving rules in the beautiful game

Since the first World Cup was played in 1934, numerous changes to the rules have been made in order to improve the game.

Some changes have gone unnoticed but others have captured the imaginations of the football family because of how significantly they influenced play, and match outcomes.

The 1990 World Cup was considered one of the most boring editions, full of negative football, with back passes and goalkeepers regularly holding on to the ball for long spells the order of play.

That World Cup produced a record low 2.2 goals per game. Fifa reacted by banning the back pass.

Goalkeepers were no longer permitted to pick up a ball that was passed back to them by a teammate (and lose valuable time holding on to the ball).

The upshot? At the next World Cup in the United States in 1994, 2.7 goals were scored per game, the highest figure since 1970.

In 1997, this rule was extended to include throw-ins.

The emotive offside rule has seen numerous changes from the time in the 1800s when an attacking player, rugby style, was prohibited from being in front of the ball, to being adjudged onside if three opponents were between the attacking player and the goal. Even with technology this evolving rule is not clear-cut.

After much dithering, the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was included in the Fifa Laws of the Games in 2018 and used at that year’s World Cup in Russia.

VAR technology was adopted to help reduce the controversial calls made by referees that invariably changed the outcome of matches. Such calls included send offs, offsides and goals.

It was in fact meant to aid referees in making accurate calls and thus end controversies in officiating.

Ironically, VAR has come with its fair share of controversies, but that is a story for another day.

The golden goal rule, introduced in the 1998 World Cup, and abandoned after 2002, was one experiment too long. Football does not deserve sudden death.

Former Fifa President Sepp Blatter, who served as head of the world football body for 17 years, used to argue that changing the laws to accommodate technology would rob football its spontaneity and human touch that is beloved of the game.

Blatter though can also be remembered for making ridiculous suggestions about how the game should be changed.

In the run up to the 1994 World Cup in the USA, he proposed the introduction of four quarters in a football match to replace the two halves.

This was seen as a move to attract advertisement in television during the breaks. Thankfully, this idea was laughed off.

Blatter also had this idea of having goals made bigger to make scoring easier, doing away with the offside, and women wearing tighter shorts in order to attract more audiences.

I will not comment on these, other than say that Blatter was roundly ridiculed.

His successor Gianni Infantino has had a fair share of throwing in ideas to change the international game.

He has successfully pushed for an expanded World Cup. The 2026 World Cup that will for the first time take place jointly in three countries – USA, Canada and Mexico, will be a massive 48-nation affair.

This is an increase of 16 countries from the traditional 32 nations that have taken part in the World Cup since the 1998 edition in France.

Infantino, in fact, wanted a 48-team tournament in Qatar, but reason prevailed.

When Qatar won the bid to host the World Cup way back in 2010, it was on the knowledge that the tournament would involve 32 sides.

The Fifa president has also toyed with the idea of a World Cup every two years. I am certainly not for this and have previously argued that the attractiveness of the World Cup is its novelty – it comes every four years.

Having more tournaments, more often would dilute its allure.

Meanwhile, there are two changes that will be introduced at the Qatar World Cup.

One, Fifa announced in early July that the VAR system for the Qatar spectacle will include semi-automated off-side.

The limb-tracking technology will give the exact position of players on the pitch, offering referees precise information within seconds.

Offside rulings, that invariably draws the most controversy, should now be clear cut. Right?

I hope my colleague Japheth Mutinda, a VAR opposer, will be convinced of its necessity.

Two, nations will be allowed a squad of 26 players, increasing the maximum number permitted by three.

Teams will be allowed to make a maximum of five substitutes as opposed to the traditional three. Coaches now have more tactical options to consider.

Fifa said this was to allow flexibility to the coaches due to the “unique timing” of the 2022 World Cup that will be held in November/December and not mid-year as has been the tradition.

Most teams will have just days to prepare. And remember, Covid is still here with us.

Whatever the changes, I will continue to patiently wait for the first African nation to qualify for the World Cup semi-final. But I highly doubt it will be in Qatar.

[email protected]