Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
Friday, April 14, 2006, Washington Post

Hey, Let's Remember the Goal!

The Major League Soccer season has started, and that has me thinking about soccer.

I am not a big pro soccer fan. The game is too low-scoring for me. Last season, none of the 12 MLS teams averaged even two goals per game. Two teams averaged less than one goal per game. That means if a team gets a two-goal lead, the game is pretty much over.

I think MLS should change some rules to make it easier to score.

First, make the goals larger. Players are bigger and more athletic. It is difficult to get the ball by a good goalie. By making the goal wider and higher, teams would have more chances to score.

By the way, we don't need bigger goals for kids' games. The regular goal is plenty big for 8- and 10-year-olds.

Second, stop the holding and grabbing by defenders that keep offensive stars from showing off their fancy moves. How? Referees should send the players who hold and grab off the field for five minutes. Soccer could have a penalty box, just like hockey.

Finally, allow coaches to substitute players more often. Now, if a player is replaced, he has to stay out for the rest of the game. Let players come back into the game. More substitutions will keep players from getting so tired that they can't score goals.

Now, I know some soccer fans are screaming, "Soccer is the most popular game in the world; why change it?"

Lots of sports have changed their rules to create more scoring and to make the games more exciting. In the 1960s, baseball teams were not scoring many runs. So Major League Baseball lowered the pitching mound to make it easier for batters to hit. In 1973, the American League introduced the designated hitter, which allowed a good hitter to bat in place of the pitcher, leading to more scoring.

Basketball did not always have the three-point shot. Some early leagues tried it before the American Basketball Association (now part of the NBA) made it popular in 1968. Three-pointers help teams come back in games. If Kristi Toliver hadn't hit a three-pointer at the end of regulation, the Maryland women's team would not have won the NCAA championship.

In pro football, defensive backs used to be able to hit receivers downfield before the ball was in the air. That made it difficult for quarterbacks to complete passes. Now, defenders cannot touch receivers five yards past the line of scrimmage. Completed passes are way up.

This season, the National Hockey League changed a bunch of rules to increase scoring. The league made the goalie's pads smaller, the offensive zone bigger and allowed longer passes. The result? More goals.

Soccer is a great game. Lots of kids love to play, and I am looking forward to the World Cup this summer. However, I think MLS should experiment with a few rule changes to make it easier to hear the roar of Goal!