[Football] Change how matches are timed

[Johnny RoastBeef]

I've often thought about this.

In the Europa League cup final there were 4 goals in the first half but the ref added no additional time.

But would there be unintended consequences?

Would it result in an unwanted degree of playing out time by the winning team, knocking the ball around at the back as the clock ticks down?

Or perhaps there would be positives, like an attacking team subbing the keeper for a centre forward when a corner or free kick is awarded with fewer than 10 seconds remaining on the clock?

 

[Weststander]

Take time keeping away from refs in added time.

It’s so subjective, some add on next to nothing for goal celebrations, others loads. Whilst some stop the watch half way through a long drawn out p*ss take of a substitution, some alert others stop the watch straight away.

 

[Deadly Danson]

Stop it. We lost. That’s all there is to it. All this BS tinkering, meddling and striving for perfection has ruined the game as it is. And if your objective is fairness, don’t be so bloody naive. The “level playing field” is so weighted with gold towards the big clubs, we’re practically attacking a 90 degree slope. That’s the real injustice. Not refs and rules, as life sucking as VAR is.

A lot of people have been saying this for a long time though. The absolutely easiest part of a refs job is timekeeping but they are gloriously inconsistent and useless at it. For every idiot like today's ref who allows play to continue well beyond time there are others who fail to stop their watch for timewasting, injuries, subs etc especially during injury time. Give it to someone else and make it more clear for all to see.

 

[portlock seagull]

A lot of people have been saying this for a long time though. The absolutely easiest part of a refs job is timekeeping but they are gloriously inconsistent and useless at it. For every idiot like today's ref who allows play to continue well beyond time there are others who fail to stop their watch for timewasting, injuries, subs etc especially during injury time. Give it to someone else and make it more clear for all to see.

Same arguments made about VAR. which was supposed to end controversy. We lost. Get over it.

 

[osgood]

Remove timing from the referee, from their desire to let play continue until ball ends up on half way line. 35 mins (or whatever) active play each half - stop the clock when ball is dead. Time wasting disappears, doubts about bias disappear, 2-2 result in this case.

Yes , football timings should be in line with NBA rules , stop clock when balls out and just play the 45 minutes each half , added time is so random , and too flexible when its been decided !

 

[blue-shifted]

If this rule was formally proposed the smaller teams would all be in favour and the big teams vehemently against

 

[raymondo]

I've often thought about this.

In the Europa League cup final there were 4 goals in the first half but the ref added no additional time.

But would there be unintended consequences?

Would it result in an unwanted degree of playing out time by the winning team, knocking the ball around at the back as the clock ticks down?

Or perhaps there would be positives, like an attacking team subbing the keeper for a centre forward when a corner or free kick is awarded with fewer than 10 seconds remaining on the clock?

I don't mind the playing out of time by a winning team...the ball is live and the opponent can try to get it. Much better than time wasting from delayed/slowed free kicks, goal kicks etc

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

I don't mind the playing out of time by a winning team...the ball is live and the opponent can try to get it. Much better than time wasting from delayed/slowed free kicks, goal kicks etc

True.

What it lead to every team employing an eight foot tall giant in their squad, just to bring on for that free kick or corner in the last 10 seconds?

 

[raymondo]

True.

What it lead to every team employing an eight foot tall giant in their squad, just to bring on for that free kick or corner in the last 10 seconds?

We've got one...well, just 7'11"

 

[Icy Gull]

Yeah but, league or union?
League, the hooter sounds on the second time is up - game over.
Union, play continues until ball next goes dead.

I like the idea of a big digital clock on the stand [one at each end so everyone can see] and a ref carrying a clicker that starts and stops this big clock ticking down from 45 mins [or the 4th official can do this]
Any injury or time when ball is out of play, ref stops the big clock and then starts it immediately play resumes.
No more time wasting as the ref has stopped the clock. Slow goal kicks, throw-ins or feigning injury no longer an issue.
Best of all, we always get our 45mins money's worth.

This is effectively how it works in rugby and I have yet to hear a complaint about time keeping since it was introduced. It’s so simple and easy to do at the top level, and will cut out all the annoying gamesmanship we see, but it does take away the refs ability to help the top clubs if they need it. That’s a bit too cynical isn’t it

 

[The aloof gatekeeper]

So are we changing the rules only for the Prem? Everywhere it is 90 minutes, but here it isin’t?

Pretty much. Just like everywhere else you can celebrate a goal straight away but in the top flight you can't.

 

[Berty23]

Good idea in theory, but it’s harder than you think. As a ref, there is so much to focus on. It is hard to start and stop the watch so often. And what if you forget?

Isn’t it easier for them to wave every time they want the clock stopped than to try and keep count/pause their own watch or whatever they do. Watching rugby now you wonder how it was ever the case that you didn’t know for sure how long was left. It is daft it has not happened. It happens in hockey on tv too. Central timing is one less thing for the ref to worry about.

You could say that if siren goes and a corner is about to happen then it is allowed (as hockey does with short corners) or wait until ball next out and if that is a corner then match over as ball out. The one thing not ending the game would be a foul.

 

[trueblue]

Has anyone timed the gap from us scoring to the kick-off? It would be interesting to know whether the ref really did add on too much extra. Wouldn’t explain why they gave a corner that looked like a goal-kick though, or several other puzzles.