IFAB set to urge referees to adopt the strategy used at the 2022 World Cup by playing more additional time to clamp down on time-wasting.
Football’s governing body has declared that referees would be instructed to follow the example set at last year’s World Cup and play more extra time in an effort to reduce time wastage.
The Qatar World Cup’s officials were urged to add more time after each half, which resulted in games lasting far longer, like England’s 6-2 victory over Iran, which had a total of 24 minutes additional time.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which held its annual general meeting in London this weekend, has announced that it will now urge officials to adopt the strategy used at the World Cup.
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, claims that in order to convince authorities that it is the “right thing to do,” IFAB must first show them that it is the “right thing to do.” IFAB is not changing the law; rather, it is pushing it to be used differently.
Infantino declared: “By speaking with them, by showing them our analysis, by clearly seeing the benefits of this.”
“We want to fight against time wasting, we want the fans to enjoy the game. We have seen at the last World Cup, on average we had a bit more than ten minutes additional time and around 60 minutes of effective time being played.”
“It has been widely appreciated by everyone. The rules of the game are there and are universal, and we have to ensure that the application of the rules of the game are universally accepted.”
“There is a very inconsistent application of these laws of the game when it comes to additional time or time wasting in different parts of the world.”
“Some leagues have their matches lasting less than 50 minutes, and others are at around 60 minutes already now. So we need first to convince, and then implement.”
“What’s important is we are not changing the laws of the game. They don’t need any amendment. They have already foreseen these situations, we just have to apply them consistently. There is no stoppage clock, just to make it very clear.”
This season, time wastage has been a hot subject after Sportsmail revealed last month that the Premier League has experienced the lowest ball-in-play time in 12 years.
According to Mark Bullingham, CEO of the FA, it will obviously result in more time being played, especially at first.
He stated: “The effect of playing time is really variable between games.”
“You can get as much as 25 minutes variable so how do you reduce that?”
“And the second thing is how do you make sure there is no incentive for time wasting? And I think what FIFA did in Qatar really helped with both of those.”
“When you look at the time that was added towards the latter stages of the competition, rather than at the beginning, it’s a bit less. And one of the reasons for that might be that players realized if they went down that time was going to be added so there was no point staying down.”
“You can’t prove that of course, but that could be something.”
“So I think there were lots of things that were really positive to learn there and I think the aim is to communicate that and get everyone onside with that, and explain the benefits of that.”
“We didn’t talk about one league in particular but the aim is to apply those lessons more widely.”
“I think you could see it (additional time) go up and then come down again because I think there will be a reaction to it.”
The IFAB has also announced an amendment to penalty rule 14, which states that goalkeepers may be penalized if they seek to unjustly divert the kick taker’s attention.
The gathering included suggestions on how to treat match officials better.
Gianni Infantino Rejects Premier League’s Request
Despite pressure from the Premier League to do otherwise, football’s legislators have stuck by their decision not to introduce a trial of temporary concussion substitutes.
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, met with FA officials at a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in London to discuss the possibility of testing temporary concussion substitutes.
The study, which has been extended to allow for additional data to be gathered, now allows clubs in England to use two permanent concussion substitutes.
Yet IFAB have elected not to side with the Premier League, albeit stress the idea of conducting trials for temporary concussion subs will remain under ‘continuous evaluation’.
Temporary concussion replacements are supported by some who claim that enabling doctors to perform tests away from the field would relieve their workload and allow players to return to play if there was found to be no problem.
What Is IFAB?
The body that establishes association football’s Rules of the Game is known as the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
In order to agree on standardized laws for international competitiveness, IFAB was established in 1886 and has since served as the “guardian” of such laws.
FIFA, the sport’s main regulatory body, has acknowledged IFAB’s authority over the Rules ever since it was founded in 1904.
The IFAB is renowned for having a very strict stance on modifying the Rules of the Game.
FIFA is represented on the board and holds 50% of the voting power, but it is a different organization.
