Piqué's radical 0‑0 rule: Shake-up for goalless draws?
The former FC Barcelona and Spanish national team defender has proposed the introduction of a new rule in league matches. Gerard Piqué wants to use it to make the endings of football matches even more entertaining.
Gerard Piqué was a guest on a podcast hosted by his former Spanish national team teammate, Iker Casillas. The two were close on the field because Gerard Piqué was a defender and Iker Casillas a goalkeeper. The former decided to promote exciting, offensive play nonetheless.
The former athlete proposed that both teams who draw a league match 0-0 should not receive any points in the standings.
Currently, in all major leagues, a draw is worth a point for both teams. It doesn't matter if the match ends 0-0, 1-1, or 3-3.
It can't be that you go to a football stadium, spend [a lot of money] and the match ends 0-0. Something needs to change. One proposal to consider would be that if the match ends 0-0, the teams would score zero points. The match would open in the 70th minute, assures Gerard Piqué.
Opinions following Gerard Piqué's statement are divided. Enthusiasts agree with the Spaniard and see promoting offensive play as a good direction.
Critics point out that goals are not the only measure of a match's quality. Valuing goalless draws the same as losses doesn't seem to be a fortunate idea. They also criticise the constant modification of football rules.
Many similar ideas to make football matches more attractive appear, but there is a long way to go before they are implemented. For example, effective playing time, the elimination of offsides, or enlarging goalposts have been considered.
