The point is to encourage attacking / attractive football. How on earth does ending the game with penalty kicks encourage teams away from defensive play? That absolutely makes no sense. There might be something creative that could be thought of but one way some leagues/tournaments already approach it is to encourage teams to go for goals by having a points system that gives points for wins AND goals. Therefore even with ties that occur, a 2-2 tie is worth more that a 0-0 tie. It may not be perfect, but would make alot more sense than penalty kicks.

Keith has a good point about giving a point for each goal scored in a tie game. That system is used in many tournament games and certainly does encourage scoring. It doesn't pay to sit back and defend when aggragate goals make a big difference. This would be better than bringing the game to a screeching halt to do penalties. At least FIFA is considering the idea of breaking ties in the group play.

Here is how to encourage attacking football, reduce PK tie breakers, and try not to drag out the OT too much. 1. Go to the whilom NASL offside lines instead of using the halfway line. 2. Allow only 10 of your own players (including keeper)in your own half at all times and only 8 of your own players in your defending 35 yards. This is not a drastic change but baby steps are not made this will never fly. 3. 1st OT uses golden goal with only 9 players allowed in your own half and 6 players within your own 35 yards. Optionally this period need not used the golden goal rule but all subsequent OT's should. 4. 2nd OT allows only 8 of your own players within your own half and 5 within your own 35 yards. Initial implementation could even be scaled back more conservatively by implementing step 2 for the 1st OT and step 3 for the 2nd OT. But I do think implementing step 2 during regulation eventually is good for football.

I think either the 10-point system or Golden Goal would be great at the Group Stage. Either system would reward the more aggressive attacking team and add more excitement to the game (and higher scores). I don't think PK's would be as effective. At least they are thinking! I also think they should consider the NFL's coach review for instant replay. Each coach would have 2 - 3 reviews per game, win a review, keep your substitution, lose a review, lose one substitution. That and goal cams for goal line review would definitely bring the game into the 21st century and end a lot of bad (or no) calls. These rules & technology would only be used in World Cup play.

I read all the comments that everyone made, and I'd like to make another suggestion, and I have been a soccer/football fan for 20 years, and I have been a linesman before, so I know the rules of the game very well. In basketball, they used to have much the same problem with their games becoming stall games and very low-scoring. One time a game ended 19-18 in the early days of the NBA. To solve this problem, the higher-ups of the NBA invented the 24-second shot clock. Its impact was immediate. Games became much higher scoring, and the NBA is now one of the most entertaining sports leagues in the world. In American football, teams have four downs to get a first down before they have to give the ball up. Why not have something in soccer/football that imposes some sort of a time limit on the two teams competing against each other? Here's my suggestion in this regard: The team that has the ball, once they have wom the ball, have a certain amount of time to take a shot at goal. It could be any amount of time, so long as there's a time limit. If the time decided upon elapses and the team does not take the shot at goal, the team commits a violation and gives the ball to the other team for possession. I define "shoot at goal" to mean anytime the ball goes over the end line or over the goal line, or if the keeper catches a shot taken at goal. It would require a stopwatch or a shot clock of some sort, but those have been in place in the NBA since 1954, so I know that it can be done. Besides, soccer/football is the most popular sport on earth, so I know something like this could be implemented.

Soccer/Football is already the world's most popular sport, so we can't reinvent the wheel! That will just turn off the current supporters. Nancy's comment makes the most sense. Award a point for each goal scored in addition to 3 points for a win. Soccer supporters understand that ties are part of the game, but a 2-2 tie is more exciting than a 0-0 tie!

Samir, you are out of your mind with that suggestion, why don't we just give hemlmets to the players as well. Golden goal would be the only way to go.