Sepp Blatter Looks For Penalty Alternative
Controversial FIFA President Sepp Blatter has dismissed penalty shootouts as a “tragedy” and insisted that football loses its “essence” when the game comes down to one and one.
"Football can be a tragedy when you go to penalty kicks. Football should not go to one to one, when it goes to penalty kicks football loses its essence. Perhaps Franz Beckenbauer with his football 2014 group can show us a solution perhaps not today but in the future."An alternative to penalty shootouts would bring to an end a 42 year old tradition. In 1970, in the now defunct football stadium 'Boothferry Park' in Hull, English football witnessed its first ever penalty shootout in the semi-final of the 'Watney Cup' between Hull City and Manchester United after the game had finished 1-1 after extra time. George Best was the first player to take a penalty and Dennis Law would become the first to miss one, after Ian McKechnie saved, he then became the first ever goalkeeper to take a spot kick. Regardless, Manchester United went on to win, though penalties werent necessary in the final as they were defeated 4-1 by Derby County. Prior to this, knock out cup competitions went to a series of 90 minute replays until a victor was determined. It of course sounds ridiculous today, yet the most archaic example of football prior to the dawn of the penalty shootout came in the semi-final of the 1968 European Championship. Italy took on the then USSR and after a stalemate Italy progressed to the final after LOTS were taken. It was then that FIFA and UEFA realised it was time for change.
Penalty shootouts have often been the bane of football supporters lives, particularly English ones. In four of the last eight major tournaments that England have competed in, they have been eliminated by way of penalty shootouts - to the Germans in Euro 96, Argentina in the 1998 World Cup and twice more to Portugal in both Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. Gareth Southgate, Stuart Pearce and David Batty are among some of the high profile members of the shoot-out hall of shame down the years, along with Frank Lampard, David Beckham and Steven Gerrard in recent times. For all that disappointment though, you cant really beat the excitement and exhilaration of a penalty shootout where anything can happen - this season's Champions League Final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich was a rarity in that the Germans didn't prevail on spot kicks over English opposition. The question now posed to Beckenbaurer and his so called Football Task Force now is What is the alternative to a penalty shootout? One suggestion is to bring back the Golden Goal Rule. Now confined to the footnotes of English Football history, the Golden Goal Rule was once used by FIFA to automatically determine a victor. The rules were simple, if after 90 minutes the game was deadlocked, two fifteen minute periods of extra time would be played. If at any point in that period a team scored, the game would be over and they would be victorious. This rule was introduced by FIFA in 1993, and is perhaps best known for deciding the final of the 1996 European Championships between Germany and the Czech Republic when Oliver Bierhoff scored a 95th minute goal to seal the win for Germany. The rule was scrapped in 2004, but if we are to consider options to at least reduce the likelihood of a penalty shootout, the reintroduction of the Golden Goal Rule would probably be the best way to go about things. Increasing the period of extra time from 30 to 45 minutes with the Golden Goal Rule in place would be another alternative. What are your alternatives to penalty shootouts? Post your suggestions below.