GENEVA, May 10, 2011 (AFP) - World football chiefs have floated a first set of ideas to spruce up the game, including professionalising referees and allowing an additional substitute during extra time, FIFA said on Tuesday.
World football's governing body set up a 22-strong task force of officials, coaches, players, referees and medical experts under Franz Beckenbauer's leadership last year to think up ways of making football more attractive by 2014.
They "agreed to propose allowing a fourth substitution in extra time, particularly for youth competitions," FIFA said after a first meeting in Zurich.
"There was general agreement on the need to professionalise refereeing," after Swiss and international referee Massimo Busacca, a member of the task force, reported on his own experience.
The group, which also includes Pele, Bobby Charlton, Cafu, Fernando Hierro, and Christian Karembeu also revived discussion of the controversial 2005 offside rule and proposed cuts in sanctions for some fouls.
Beckenbauer, who could not attend the meeting in Zurich, is due to make a broader presentation at FIFA's Congress on June 1.
Apart from passing the governing body's scrutiny, any rule changes must also be endorsed by football's rulemaking body, the International FA Board.
