24 Feet x 8 Feet - Why?
Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 6:08 pm
Why is that the size of the goalposts?
Apparently these dimensions were fixed in a pub in Holborn in 1863.
The landlord's son, apprently the height of an average goalie was told to jump as high as he could to bring off a 'save'.
150-odd years later the average goalie is about 6 inches taller, and extremely athletic.
But the size of the goalposts remain the same.
Surely, as goalies get taller the size of the goalposts ought to increase.
Why else has the number of goals scored in the first 16 games of the World Cup fallen from 78 in 1954, to 46 in 2002, and just 25 this year?
If the goals were 6 inches wider and every ball that now hits the woodwork went in, scores would double or treble.
Wouldn't this also reflect the flow of play more accurately than stupid 1-0 or 1-1?
Wouldn't this also reduce the hysteria surrounding each goal, each goalmouth incident, the significance of penalties, and decisions decided by a fallible referee.
Discuss!
Apparently these dimensions were fixed in a pub in Holborn in 1863.
The landlord's son, apprently the height of an average goalie was told to jump as high as he could to bring off a 'save'.
150-odd years later the average goalie is about 6 inches taller, and extremely athletic.
But the size of the goalposts remain the same.
Surely, as goalies get taller the size of the goalposts ought to increase.
Why else has the number of goals scored in the first 16 games of the World Cup fallen from 78 in 1954, to 46 in 2002, and just 25 this year?
If the goals were 6 inches wider and every ball that now hits the woodwork went in, scores would double or treble.
Wouldn't this also reflect the flow of play more accurately than stupid 1-0 or 1-1?
Wouldn't this also reduce the hysteria surrounding each goal, each goalmouth incident, the significance of penalties, and decisions decided by a fallible referee.
Discuss!