https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...r-goals/4a30bfa7-bc97-4759-a611-dd4890583c3f/ February 18, 1996 "Last November, FIFA requested MLS to consider experimenting playing with larger goals," MLS Commissioner Doug Logan said. ". . . All sports involve some risk. I'm not going to tell you it's an issue that is risk-free. Our elders think the rewards in comparison to the risks . . . are sufficient enough for us to investigate it further and to take on those risks." Under FIFA's proposal, the goal would expand in height by about nine inches and in width by about 17 inches. The current dimensions are eight feet high and 24 feet wide. Sources said MLS's Management Committee voted, 6-3, to pursue the issue. League executives will attend FIFA meetings March 8 in Rio de Janeiro to discuss it further. If FIFA's board authorizes the change in goal size, MLS likely will implement it in time for the April 6 opener. Kevin Payne, D.C. United's president and general manager and a member of the management committee, voted against the proposal. "I'm in favor of the concept of larger goals and the concept of finding ways to make the game exciting, but not in the first year," he said. "To me it's a question of us being in front of the rest of the world" and a fear of the young league losing international credibility. Larger goals were tried in recent years by the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues -- a U.S. semipro circuit -- and produced almost an additional goal per game. ----------------------------------------------- The number that FIFA came up is so random....until I google the size of a FIFA football. EUREKA! The diameter of a FIFA football is 8.65 inches (22 cm). So the goal would expand in height by one football (8.65 inches or 22 cm) and in width by two footballs (17.3 inches or 44 cm). This match the description in the article of "about 9 inches" in height expansion and "about 17 inches" in width expansion. So FIFA number wasn't random after all. current size: 8 ft x 24 ft = 192 ft new proposed size: 8 ft and 8.65 inches x 24 ft and 17.3 inches = about 221.9 ft This is about 15.5% bigger
I hope Moderator on Bigsoccer would leave this topic on MLS News and Analysis so it will get more discussion instead of expel it into the basement of You Be the Don. What is interesting is that soccer fans on reddit seem to be in favor of it. I thought they would hate this idea so I am very surprised by the poll result. If avid soccer fans on r/soccer reddit is generally in favor, then among the casual MLS fans, I'm sure they will get even higher number. https://reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/phyiam/discussion_in_1995_fifa_requested_mls_to_consider/ A SURVEY to gauge the reaction of football fans What do you think of FIFA trialing a bigger goal size (16% larger) in a league like MLS? https://strawpoll.com/or58xb5u6 In favor, there is nothing to lose to experiment it in a mid tier league for 1 year Oppose, the size of the goal is at perfect size Result so far: 38 votes (60%) in favor and 25 votes (40%) oppose using unscientific math to see what increase goal will be: 2.8 goals per match x 15.5% increase in goals (due to 15.5% increase in goal size) = 0.434 extra goal per game So if MLS goals per match is 2.8, it will increase to 3.234 goals per match under the unscientific assumption that 15.5% increase in goal size will result in 15.5% increase in goals. Hypothetical / What If: Kevin Payne, D.C. United's president and general manager and a member of the management committee, voted against the proposal. "I'm in favor of the concept of larger goals and the concept of finding ways to make the game exciting, but not in the first year," he said. "To me it's a question of us being in front of the rest of the world" and a fear of the young league losing international credibility. Kevin Payne made a good point. But what if FIFA said that they will make this change worldwide after 1 successful MLS season in 1996? 1996: MLS adopt this FIFA as a trial 1997: FIFA judge that the 1 year trial in MLS is successful so adopt it worldwide MLS would be seen as a trailblazer. Maybe MLS didn't have to do the 35 yards shootout and countdown clock because MLS already have a bigger goal. The winner of this hypothetical is the sports as a whole. Spectators get to see more goals. All professional leagues will benefit from higher attendance and tv ratings. Too bad FIFA backed out. It looks like MLS was on board. MLS's Management Committee voted, 6-3, to pursue the issue.
comment on reddit: But, the casual fan might get into the sport if they see more goals per game. And it might bring in non-fans too, seeing 4-3 games, as opposed to 1-0 games. comment on reddit: I’m ok with 0-0 draws but 4-3 would be way more enjoyable to the causal fan than 1-0 or 0-0 Low scoring games in August 1st to August 15th (low scoring games = 2 goals or under) (was going to do the whole August but got tired because there are too many) Listed on https://www.mlssoccer.com/schedule/scores Philly - Chicago 1:1 Toronto - Nashville 1:1 USA-Mexico 1:0 NE - Nashville 0:0 Chicago - NYC 0:0 New York RB - Cincinnati 0:0 Orlando - Miami 1:1 Seattle - Dallas 1:1 LA Galaxy - Salt Lake 1:0 Portland - SJ 1-1 Cincinnati - Orlando 1:1 Minnesota - Houston 2-0 Dallas - Austin 2 - 0 Colorado - KC 0 - 0 LA - Vancouver 1-0 Monterrey - Cruz Azul 1:0 NYC - Pumas 1:1 Orlando - Santos Laguna 0 : 1 Club America - Philly 2:0 San Jose - Vancouver 0-0 Minnesota - LA 1:0 NYC - Miami 2:0 Dallas - KC 0:2 Salt Lake - Austin 1:0 Atlanta - LAFC 1:0 Chicago - Columbus 1:0 This research by a football fan show that football is a very low scoring sport with 0-0, 1-0, 1-1, 2-0 being very common. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/in-126-years-english-football-has-seen-13475-nil-nil-draws/ In 126 Years, English Football Has Seen 13,475 Nil-Nil Draws Take the most common final score, for example. In 188,060 league games, the final tally was most often 1-0, proof, for Curley, that soccer was as low-scoring as he suspected. This result has occurred in more than 30,000 games — 16 percent of the total. Other common scores: 2-1 (about 27,000 games), 2-0 (about 22,000) and 1-1 (about 22,000). In 85,694 games — dangerously close to half the total — at least one of the teams forgot to score at all.
Seattle - Portland match about 5 days ago 6 Shots hit the crossbar or goal post. SIX. These 6 shots would all gone in if the goal is expanded in height by one football (8.65 inches or 22 cm) and in width by two footballs (17.3 inches or 44 cm).
Dude... nobody cares. If you put two more goalposts beside the goals and had "behinds" like you do in Aussie Rules, that would increase scoring too. That doesn't make it a good idea. There's nothing wrong with the size of the goals. If you make the goals bigger (the goals that are already 24 feet wide and 8 feet tall), and make it a little bit easier to score, you cheapen the value of goals. The fact that goals are hard to score is what makes the game what it is. Games can be exciting even with low scores. They are all the time. Particularly when goalies are making saves and, yes, shots hit posts. Those near-misses are plenty exciting on their own merit. The games that suck don't just lack goals, they lack chances. They're the games where both teams pack it in and try not to get exposed. The games where there's no flow because everyone just fouls the crap out of each other. You could add three feet to each dimension of the goal and it wouldn't make a lick of difference in matches like that. Not to mention, we don't need to make it any more difficult for goalkeepers to be competitive than it already is. Most people think about shots from distance, but what about penalty kicks? They're borderline unstoppable as it is. We need to make it worse? And to finish this, suppose you get the benefit you're after, and more goals are scored. How long will it take until some yahoo on a message board decides that 2-1 games aren't exciting enough?
I’m intrigued by the idea of trying larger goals in a lower level league to see how it impacts the game. The NBA added the 3 point line in 1979, and that pretty substantive scoring change seems to have been positive for the sport.
The USISL tested a number of rules for FIFA back in '94 or so. I found a link but it's blocked for me. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...port-Summary&usg=AOvVaw3r1cHbeicIKaovR-EnY4CR I can't recall if larger goals was one of the ones that was tested.
My memory is that different rules were tested in different conferences. I remember the Austin Lone Stars playing with rules 2 and 7, and maybe a couple others.