5 proposed changes to football laws we DON'T want to see

3) Players can pass to themselves on set-pieces

What if Messi could pass to himself and continue dribbling towards goal?

This is another proposal that could only give the attacking team an undue advantage. As we all know, opponents must keep a minimum distance of 10 yards when a team wins a free-kick.

When a free-kick is taken, the player either tries to find a teammate or scores directly. These are the only two options he has (unless he opts to put the ball out of play, of course). But allowing the player to pass to himself could see him gain ground and give himself every chance of improving the odds on scoring.

What if he had a running start to play the ball forward and advance a few more yards? What if Lionel Messi was given the freedom to ascertain which path to dribble through the crowd before taking a quick free-kick and “passing it to himself”?

The only way to balance this out is to maybe allow a player to get within 10 yards of the free-kick taker even before it is taken? I can imagine it now, a defender running alongside the free-kick taker, ready to tackle him as soon as he touches the ball.

Total anarchy!