I think someone mentioned it earlier, but why allow the keeper to handle balls played back to him off the head/body? It just seems like a meaningless, counter-productive loophole. And, I think teams should lose a throw-in based on clear, simple violations - taking the throw further upfield from where the ref/linesman point, taking too much time, picking up the ball and then leaving it for someone else to take the throw ... Late in a game, wasting time on a throw-in would be very risky if there was a chance the ref would give it over to the opponent (of course, that depends on the ref having some cajones).
Regarding fouls, copy basketball. Each player gets N fouls in a game. After that the player is ejected. After X team fouls, the other team gets a corner kick on every foul. Technical fouls count as regular fouls. Two technical fouls and you are out of the game. Any player can be ejected after any foul deemed too physical/dirty/etc. Regarding corner kicks, add a second option that is not from the corner. A direct kick from a dot/spot that is 30 yards out from the goal line, five yards to the side of either goal post. the idea is to provide the offensive team with a different starting position and attacking strategies. After goals, do not start with the ball at the center of the field. Start with a corner kick for the team that was just scored on. I do not care either way about this one, but it could add offense and aid teams trying to come back. After a team scores a on penalty kick, the team that scored the PK gets the ball for a corner kick. Really penalize penalties. I do not care either way about this one, but it could add offense and aid teams trying to come back. Not only is time wasting a foul on the defender, but the offense can move the ball 15 yards closer or to the top of the box (when time wasting on kicks, not throw ins). Actually enforce the rules as written. Call fouls on shirt grabs. Call interference fouls. Call fouls in the box. etc Stop reading now as I cross into taboo territory..... Regarding time wasting... stop the clock like basketball, hockey, football. It is not that hard. I have posted about this many times. It will be a rule before the Revs win an MLS Cup and play in a SSS in Boston.
The flopping and diving and rolling around in agony may be curbed by a mandatory 5 minute medical assessment. If trainers have to enter the pitch the player should be assessed to ensure he can enter safely.
Some interesting ideas. I like the time-wasting solutions, where double the amount of time gets added after the 80th minute. The other thing I would change is in knockout games where a winner must be determined, use the old MLS style shootouts instead of PKs (but let the ref/scoreboard clock manage the time, not that stupid roll-out clock). This would give the keeper a fighting chance at stopping one, and offers a couple more strategies for the shooter. It is also much more like a game situation, where a player might actually get sprung on a breakaway by a perfectly placed through-ball.
Well, I don't know anyone who likes a knockout game ending in PKs, and the problem with the "let's just keep playing until someone scores" isn't lick hockey, where multiple OT periods can go on because there are unlimited subs and line changes. If you did that, you'd have to allow an extra sub at the start of OT, then take off a player after every 10 minutes. Every 20 minutes you could add a sub (meaning one guy goes in, two guys come out). Before long with fresh legs and open space, someone is going to score from the run of play.
After the first overtime, each team gets a paintball sniper. Any player hit by a paintball has to leave the field...
Exactly - by removing players every 10 or 15 minutes, you're guaranteeing a goal, but that goal will be the result of soccer and not penalty shootouts.