Of new rules, four points and football knock-outs

What is the most captivating, edifying or spine tingling action you have ever watched in world sport? Is it a five goal blitz in a winner takes all football rubber such as El Clasico; a rugby try following a barnstorming 100-yard run; a boundary a ball run chase in a Twenty-20 cricket final; a clutch of game swinging three pointers in the NBA play-offs final, or a knock-out aka KO during a heavyweight boxing contest?

Cricket fans might point to England’s nail biting World Cup victory of 2019 whereas tennis enthusiasts could cite epic Wimbledon final duels between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, then the Swiss Master against Novak Djokovic as their choice. However, in my humble estimation nothing compares to a heavyweight like Muhammad Ali felling a hitherto unbeatable human life-force such as Sonny Liston in 1964 and George Foreman a decade later in the rumble in the jungle.

Hands up if the last time every one of hairs on your body stood was in a boxing epic. In yours truly’s case it was when Anthony Joshua felled Ukrainian powerhouse Vladimir Klitschko during a heavyweight showdown in London. It therefore goes without saying that football action would be more breathless, if as soccer aficionado and Liverpool diehard Alex suggests, knock-outs were introduced during ninety minute games.

This is how it would work out. Since no team is on record to have overhauled a five goal advantage in a competitive ninety minute game (Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal is the closest we ever got), a referee should halt the match and declare a Knock Out and award four points if one team races into a five goal cushion such as 5-0, 6-1 or 7-2 lead. This would kill two birds with one stone.

First off, it would firstly increase football’s entertainment value by encouraging attacking football as teams, in an age of punishing fixture congestion, try to reduce minutes played as quickly as possible. Such an innovation would benefit both teams as the losing side would be put out of the misery of chasing an elusive, unattainable goal. Secondly, the four points awarded for a five-goal victory margin would force coaches to abandon conservativism as it would erase the injustice of a one-nil win being as rewarding as a 9-0 or 8-2.

When the world body responsible for changes to soccer rules, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), next meets for it’s annual congress, it might be prudent to consider these proposals. For despite their humble origins, they could prove to be as positively seismic to the beautiful game as the three points for a victory, banning of back passes to goal keepers, introduction of goal line technology and Video Assistant Referees were to the game.

Liverpool’s talismanic sweeper Virgil van Dirk will have his hands full stopping Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

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