Football fans the world over will recognise the frustration. Your team is chasing the game, the clock is hurtling towards the final whistle and the opposition make a time wasting substitution. The player leaving the field does so at the speed of an old man crossing a road, possibly shaking hands with officials or any player within his vicinity. Your teams players, now frustrated with the time wasting, remonstrate with the referee who gestures for the player to hurry. Two Minutes pass and play restarts, with everyone involved knowing the full amount of wasted time will not be added on at the end.
Over a third of playing time in an average match is lost to time wasting and stoppages.
Why is this practice allowed to continue? If Football applied the same logic as Rugby and the clock stopped the moment the ball was out of play, this behaviour would disappear instantly.
The advent of technology and super slow-mo replays mean referees have come under increasing scrutiny. If we're to decrease the pressure they're under, perhaps one problem we can take away is the accusation of adding on too little or too much time at the end of crucial match.
Goalkeepers are also prime culprits in the time wasting stakes, often taking an eternity to take goal kicks as the game reaches its conclusion. Not to mention players feigning injury or slowly taking throw ins and corners.
Over a third of playing time in an average match is lost to time wasting and stoppages.
Why is this practice allowed to continue? If Football applied the same logic as Rugby and the clock stopped the moment the ball was out of play, this behaviour would disappear instantly.
The advent of technology and super slow-mo replays mean referees have come under increasing scrutiny. If we're to decrease the pressure they're under, perhaps one problem we can take away is the accusation of adding on too little or too much time at the end of crucial match.
This is clearly a broken system, with additional time decided by the referees perception and not facts. But then how can they be expected to keep track of 22 players who run around seven miles a match. The help they get from assistant referees and the fourth officials is clearly not sufficient. How often does too much "Fergie Time" get added or the match get cut short as the losing team launches a final desperate attack?
This season in the Premier League the most the ball was in play was in Swansea 1-3 Tottenham and that was for 67 minutes 37 seconds. At the other end Stoke beating Aston Villa 2-1 saw only 40 minutes and 50 seconds of actual football is not exactly value for money.
This season in the Premier League the most the ball was in play was in Swansea 1-3 Tottenham and that was for 67 minutes 37 seconds. At the other end Stoke beating Aston Villa 2-1 saw only 40 minutes and 50 seconds of actual football is not exactly value for money.
The rules currently do not allow the referee to stop the clock for throws, corners, goal-kicks etc, unless players are wasting time. However, if this was the case it would encourage teams to keep the ball in play longer, cause play to restart faster and reduce time-wasting.
At the top level football is increasingly leaving its every man roots, not only are players wages always rising so are ticket prices. Is it really fair spectators are wasting a third of their season ticket outlay on watching players ponder over throw-ins and argue with referees?
A simple way to solve this is to use the same system deployed effectively in Rugby. Quite simply someone observing the game in the crowd pauses the clock as a stoppage occurs. The clock in the stadium stops with each break in play and everyone knows where they stand.
There doesn't appear to be any losers from introducing this system, spectators get better value for money and the lingering sense of injustice which currently occurs would be removed.
At the top level football is increasingly leaving its every man roots, not only are players wages always rising so are ticket prices. Is it really fair spectators are wasting a third of their season ticket outlay on watching players ponder over throw-ins and argue with referees?
A simple way to solve this is to use the same system deployed effectively in Rugby. Quite simply someone observing the game in the crowd pauses the clock as a stoppage occurs. The clock in the stadium stops with each break in play and everyone knows where they stand.
There doesn't appear to be any losers from introducing this system, spectators get better value for money and the lingering sense of injustice which currently occurs would be removed.
Can anyone see any potential problems with system? What do football fans think?
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