Monday 3 April 2017 13:07, UK
Former top-flight official Dermot Gallagher offers his expert opinion on the rule changes you suggested during Sky Sports' Support the Ref week.
Are offsides an unnecessary nuisance? Should players really be booked for taking their shirt off? And who exactly should be allowed to complain to the referee?
As part of our Support the Ref campaign last month, we wanted to hear from you about the future of refereeing and rules in football.
We then collated 13 of your ideas - which varied from sin bins to diving bans - and put them to a vote.
Here, we reveal the top five rule changes you would most like to see, with Gallagher determining whether they could realistically be implemented…
Scroll down to see how all 13 rule changes fared in the vote
Suggestion: Players can be banned for diving in the aftermath of a game
Dermot says: This is something I'm really in favour of because I don't like seeing it in football. In my opinion, three people should meet every Monday and if they decide 3-0 in favour that someone has dived, then that player should get a two-match ban. If it comes up a second time it should be a four-match ban and a third time should be a 10-match ban.
People would say 10 matches is outrageous, but if a guy has already missed six matches, then he's not listening. I don't think it would get that far, I think the first ban would sort it out.
Suggestion: Only the captain can speak to the referee to contest a decision
Dermot says: We've gone a long way towards that already, in the sense that the captain is spoken to by the referee when they come in with the teamsheets. So that starts the communication process.
If there's a big decision captains liaise with the referee and transfer information across.
When a player is yellow carded we see the captain called over and they are given a public rebuke in front of the captain. The ref uses him as a way of diffusing the situation.
Suggestion: No more bookings for a player taking his shirt off or going into the crowd while celebrating
Dermot says: It is what it is. It's what we're stuck with whether we like it or not. I remember that it was always difficult when they were already on a yellow card and did that. I remember Chris Foy sent off Arjen Robben against Sunderland - you become the evil pantomime figure.
This rule is a mandatory rule. This is not subjective, there is no leeway.
Suggestion: The referee wears a microphone or body camera so discussions with players are recorded and made public
Dermot says: What the referee and the player communicate on the pitch should stay on the pitch. I think it's a workplace where a referee is dealing with discipline or a decision he has made. I think that should stay private.
Suggestion: Managers have three chances per game to send a decision to a video referral
Dermot says: Definitely no. I think it would be used as a tactic. You would just take chances to break up the play. If a penalty is given towards the end of the day, even if you think it is a penalty, you would challenge it just so that it delays the player taking it.
Full results below...
