Could new MLS initiatives work here?

[Tinmans Love Child]

Announcements to take effect starting this Saturday, April 20

FROM MLSSOCCER.COM

NEW YORK (Tuesday, April 16, 2024)– Major League Soccer today announced that the Off-Field Treatment Rule, Timed Substitution Rule, and In-Stadium VAR Announcements will be implemented in MLS games beginning this Saturday, April 20.

Off-Field Treatment Rule

The Off-Field Treatment Rule allows medical professionals with time to assess and treat players off the field of play in a less pressurized environment.

If a player with a suspected injury remains on the ground for more than 15 seconds, the referee will stop play and wave the medical crew onto the field to evaluate the player. When safe, the player will be removed from the field and remain off the field for a minimum of two minutes for further assessment and treatment.

First implemented in MLS NEXT Pro midway through the 2022 season and continued through the entirety of the 2023 season, the Off-Field Treatment Rule has allowed medical staffs time to treat players, while also allowing match play to resume quickly.

Exceptions to the Off-Field Treatment Rule include instances of potential head injury, goalkeeper injuries, serious medical events, and fouls resulting in yellow or red cards.

Timed Substitution Rule

Maximizing effective match time, the Timed Substitution Rule requires that a substituted player exit the field within 10 seconds. Failure to exit from any point on the field within the 10 seconds will cause the incoming player to wait for a 60-second holding period, before entering the game at the next stoppage. During the holding period and prior to the substitute entering, the team will play down a player. Exceptions to the rule include injury and goalkeeper substitutions.

Enacted in MLS NEXT Pro during the 2023 season, 99.7% of the more than 3,200 substitutions were completed in 10 seconds or less.

In-Stadium VAR Announcements

VAR decisions will be explained and announced by the referee to fans in stadium and broadcast viewers at home.

The new sporting initiatives were previously announced during the 2024 MLS preseason, but were postponed due to labor negotiations between the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) and the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PRSA)

Other initiatives including the Return to Play Equity protocol and stoppage time clock, took effect at the start of the 2024 MLS regular season.

https://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/news-mls-to-implement-new-competition-initiatives-this-weekend#:~:text=Timed Substitution Rule,-Maximizing effective match&text=During the holding period and,in 10 seconds or less.

[Crackers Corner]

I like the timed sub rule, how many times do you see players waste as much time as possible with subs nearly crawling off when thier teams in front. Perhaps the 4th official could govern?

[BigTone]

Can we have PK's, CK's & FK's ?

[elhombrecito]

Surely with timed subs, every player would be 'injured' just before they went off...

[steveybadger]

Like them all but as with all initiatives they need enforcing on and off the pitch. Otherwise it’s the usual crack down becoming more tolerated becoming back to normal.

[ExiledAjax]

I think they need to get enforcement of the current rules and Laws sorted before a few new ones get added.

[Davefevs]

I do like the thought of the 15 second down idea though.  If you’re down that long feigning it, you are effectively gonna have to have 2 mins off the pitch.

[sugarwray]

It is encouraging that they have tested the rule changes in a live environment. I have no objections to these changes being trialled. I also liked very much the proposal of IFAB to trial a proposed “change of possession” in the event of goal keeper time wasting. They will test two variants. In each case the goal keeper will get a “use it” signal, if they don’t distribute the ball then possession will be lost. They will separately test throw ins or corner kicks to the opposition, with the restart at the point closest to the place where the time wasting was penalised. I prefer corners, that will reduce time wasting.

[Erithacus]

Some interesting (and perhaps American) approaches to current football sentiments. I can see that sone of the stuff that goes on here is also vexing people over there, as it were. Whilst I can see that some of the thinking is in response to perceived irritations, I can't help that some of the implementations regarding injuries will be a thorny issue. Yes, some players do feign injuries but those who are genuinely hurt will need better treatment, not under time constraints.

With regard to off-field injury assessments, will it be like the NFL's blue tent? Will games have independent doctors who will pronounce whether a player is fit to return? Is there a thought that such a structure will reduce any long-term health problems and any likely threats of litigation?

VAR: yes, we all have an opinion. Whatever the protocol, we are still in the realms where a human is in final charge - and we know they can be frail. Giving the ruling to the crowd is something the NFL has done for many years and it has become the norm. However, will we now find ourselves in a position whereby we all look at the jumbo screens and await our fate? Scenes from an Orwellian future?

This will, of course, introduce yet another level of administration to top level games. I am against anything that can't be introduced at grass roots level and feel this is how the game is splitting apart.

I must admit I was rather expecting the MLS authorities to introduce a new time limit that would quickly spread throughout the planet - the goal celebration! Maximum of 60 seconds including any flares/crowd invasion/video interview/shirt waving. Anything going over that limit would result in a VAR review, costing more time. Maybe...

[Robbored]

It seems that the Americans want to take over the football industry per se.

[Robbored]

It seems that the Americans want to take over the football industry per se.

[BigTone]

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

It seems that the Americans want to take over the football industry per se.

You can say that again but who's Percy ?

Edited April 25 by BigTone

[Robbored]

29 minutes ago, BigTone said:

You can say that again but who's Percy ?

Per se is Latin for ‘by itself’.

[BigTone]

39 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Per se is Latin for ‘by itself’.

Thank you oh wise educated one 

[Robbored]

11 minutes ago, BigTone said:

Thank you oh wise educated one 

I came across numerous Latin terms/abbreviations in my career Tone.

[BigTone]

13 minutes ago, Robbored said:

I came across numerous Latin terms/abbreviations in my career Tone.

Moi aussi

[Robbored]

2 minutes ago, BigTone said:

Moi aussi

Many European languages are derived from Latin, including French. Latin and Greek are the core sources of medical terminology.

[BigTone]

1 minute ago, Robbored said:

Many European languages are derived from Latin, including French. Latin and Greek are the core sources of medical terminology.

Indeedly doodly

[Markthehorn]

They’d probably implement them here then forget about the new guidelines after a while as often seems to happen .

[transfer reader]

On 25/04/2024 at 10:10, Davefevs said:

I do like the thought of the 15 second down idea though.  If you’re down that long feigning it, you are effectively gonna have to have 2 mins off the pitch.

Cynic in me says we'll see a lot more players claiming head injuries because they are an exemption