Thursday, July 15 and Sunday, July 18, Club NXT (U21) hosted the innovative Future of Football Cup in Zeist, the Netherlands. Five alternative game rules were applied on the KNVB campus to make soccer more attractive.
1. Dribbling in instead of throwing in
During the games, players were allowed to dribble the ball in instead of throwing it in. This rule should bring speed and pace to the game. NXT coach Rik De Mil also saw that: "Indribbling is particularly interesting in the transition. Everything goes faster and that creates a click with the players. There is no time to lament a mistake. I would like to see this rule in our league as well."
2. Self-pass
Dribbling in did not apply only to throw-ins. Free kicks and corner kicks were also allowed to be taken by self-pass. This meant that the player did not have to play a teammate at a standstill, but could immediately start dribbling the ball.
3. Effective playing time
Each match consisted of two halves of 30 minutes of effective playing time. The clock counted down from 30 to 0 and stopped each time the ball was not in play. This rule aims to eliminate unnecessary time-wasting from soccer. It proved to work, as substitutions went smoothly, players did not stay on the ground on light contact and goalkeepers made speed when kicking out. "This rule also created speed in the game. We timed the first half and came out to 43 minutes. So in terms of time, it's not very different from the regular rule, but I didn't see any players stretching time. I think this is a good rule to make soccer more attractive," De Mil comments.
4. Five minutes of penalty time for a yellow card
After a player picked up a yellow card, he had to leave the field for five minutes. "I am such a fan of it," De Mil says, "In a preparation period that can be interesting to let the players feel what it is like to be on a field with 10. In a real league, there would be too many discussions. When do you draw yellow? Sending a player off the field for five minutes for a light yellow card I think is over the top."
NXT defender Jorne Spileers got to experience the rule firsthand. After a penalty violation, he had to leave the field for five minutes. "Sneaky to let your teammates play with ten. I think this is the only rule that is a little less so this tournament," he said.
5. Flying substitutions
During the match, substitutions were unlimited.
Club NXT (U21) lost 3-4 to Jong PSV on Thursday, July 15, after three goals by Aelterman. On Sunday, July 18, they lost 6-0 to Jong AZ.