Quote Originally Posted by Bill Edwards(2) View Post
I liked this:

said.jpg
Maybe so. But in American Football (NFL) the average game length in 2 hrs 54 minutes, but the actual action time is 11 minutes (Wall Street Journal 2010). That is with unlimited substitutions. In Futball, to get to Penalty Kicks after 120 minutes of play (with the vast majority being action time) with only 3 substitutions. There is a dramatic difference in the energy expended to get through overtimes between the two sports.

Soccer and hockey are two sports that are so energy sapping that to avoid a tie after regulation, Penalty kicks or shots are used. In The NFL if there is still a tie after overtime, a tie is awarded except in the case of playoffs and the Super Bowl.

Bill, that is not to say that I like the PK system I don't. But I do understand why it is done. To tell the truth though, in my 30+ years of playing I can remember only 2 PK shootouts. We did have some ties as shootouts are only needed in knockout play. The vast majority of time, a team wins in regulation. I'll have to look it up but the number of PK Shootouts this world cup seems very high.