Blatter considers giving extra time the boot

Fifa President Sepp Blatter's latest scheme includes a proposal to give extra time the boot from World Cup matches in an effort to encourage more attacking football.

Blatter is concerned that during the tournament in South Africa teams became even more defensive during extra time in order to avoid conceding a goal.

He said: "To prevent this, we could go directly to a penalty shoot out at full time or reintroduce the golden goal rule."

Both options will be examined by Fifa's football and technical development committees on October 18.

Blatter is known to be unhappy with the negative approach of some teams in their opening group matches in South Africa, which prompted headlines about the World Cup being the most boring in history.

But the return of the golden goal rule in the next World Cup in Brazil 2014 would not sit well with teams. During the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea, extra-time periods often resembled a masterclass in 11-man defending as the repurcussions of conceding a goal were unthinkable.

Going straight to penalties would also be a controversial move, as it would deprive the teams of a chance to win the game in the traditional manner. Spain's winner in the final against Holland this year came in extra time.

Next month's meeting will also consider a change in the form of goalline technology, an issue that has become the subject of heated debate after Frank Lampard's shot against Germany that struck the crossbar and bounced several feet over the line, but was not given as a goal by the officials. ·