SEPP Blatter says FIFA is considering scrapping draws at the group stage of future World Cup finals by introducing penalty shoot-outs after 90 minutes.
Blatter, president of world football’s governing body, is known for voicing radical ideas on changing the game.
He wants to put an end to defence-minded teams playing to get a draw.
“If there is no winner at the end of 90 minutes of play, we would proceed directly to penalty kicks,” he told German magazine Focus.
“We are considering doing away with draws in the first round … and also ending extra-time play.”
Another possibility, according to Blatter, would be to revive the “golden goal”.
Under that rule if a match is a draw after normal time then the first team to score a goal in extra-time is the winner.
It was used in the 1998 competition in France but was abandoned four years later when the finals were held in Japan and South Korea.
Blatter feels the changes could make the tournament more interesting, insisting teams “above all do not want to lose – that makes for a boring game”.
The next World Cup will be held in Brazil in 2014.
Blatter also reiterated FIFA’s efforts to examine goal-line technology, which will be discussed at October’s International Football Association Board meeting.
“As soon as we have a safe, fast and uncomplicated goal indicator, we will use it,” he said. (BBC Sport)