Reinventing football: How new rules will change the way football is played

Making the penalty more tailored to the offense, by awarding free kicks rather than penalties for these types of fouls in the penalty area, would enable defenders to be more physically involved.

The centre-backs can step in and challenge without the constant fear of receiving a penalty kick due to minimal contact. We are likely to see a more robust and aggressive defense against strikers who receive the ball with their back to goal, which could make blocking plays more difficult. In wider areas, defenders will be able to physically take players out of the box more often as well.

This more aggressive style of dueling would make attacking against low blocks difficult. Attacking centrally and maintaining pressure for long periods of the match has the added benefit of winning a penalty shootout, which would not be the case. Therefore there may be an increased focus on playing wide and crossing instead.

To counter aggressive defending in low blocks, attacking teams are likely to focus on quick, direct attacks – without allowing opponents to bring too many players back into their penalty area.

From a broader perspective, we can see a decrease in the number of goals scored. Goals from penalty kicks often force stubborn defensive teams to come out and play. Without this, defending teams will have less reason to push their bodies forward, leading to more cautious games.