Pellegrini suggests adding a touch of basketball to football

Real Betis head coach Manuel Pellegrini believes football could take a page from basketball’s rulebook to make matches more dynamic and attacking. Despite the noticeable rise in goals over the past decade, the Chilean tactician argues that the sport still needs more offensive intensity.
As reported by Foot Africa, Pellegrini’s proposal is inspired by basketball’s backcourt violation rule — which prevents teams from returning the ball to their own half once they’ve crossed the halfway line. He believes introducing a similar restriction in football could transform the flow of play.
“If a team couldn’t pass back into its own half after crossing midfield, it would force more attacking football and create a faster, more dynamic game,” Pellegrini explained.
Ironically, the veteran coach’s own teams have not always been known for free-flowing, high-scoring football — his current Real Betis side, for instance, has scored just 19 goals in 12 La Liga matches this season.
