Rory Smith, chief soccer correspondent at The New York Times, discusses the idea of changing rules and regulations around football on and off the pitch.
Neil Atkinson hosts for The Anfield Wrap…
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Enjoy these “conversations”.
I think that many of the changes we see are not for those paying to attend the match. The punters.
The changes are to make the game more exciting for the broadcasters’ audience. The pundits, the slow-motion replays, the examination of the minutiae of a refereeing decision are all part of the viewing experience, not for the match-going supporters.
This is an important aspect of changes to the rules and regulations which have been seen in recent seasons, with VAR being the epitome of this. People attending a match – and even those playing – do not give a flyer about millimeters in an offside call. And offside, to my understanding, was never about millimeters.
Most changes now will be for the betterment of “the product” from a viewing experience and ultimately subscriptions perspective.
Still love watching the game though – by whatever means. Can’t be arsed with the punditry 80% of the time however, occasionally there is some worthwhile insight. I do hope that some day we will be able to turn-off the commentators and just listen with the crowd – a kind of variation to the empty stadiums soundtrack we were offered during lockdown. I might even pay for that.