A game of two (half an hour) halves.
A proposal by the International Football Association Board (ifab) will look at scrapping 45-minute football halves in order to deter time-wasting in the beautiful game.
Instead, the game would have two shorter periods of 30 minutes and the clock would be stopped when the ball goes out of play.
The proposal comes after ifab, the lawmaking body, claimed that of the hour and a half in football matches, there is only about an hour of “effective playing time.”
The new 30-minute half in the strategy document entitled Play Fair is designed to address football’s “negatives”. Other ideas include disallowing players to follow up and score from a saved penalty meaning if the spot-kick does not hit the back of the net, play would stop immediately and a goal-kick would be awarded.
Also, a new stadium clock which is linked to the referee’s watch and a rule allowing players to pass to themselves or dribble the ball from a free-kick are being proposed.
Reducing football matches to 30 minute halves? Is everyone just trying to ruin in football in every possible way?
— Jimmy (@EntireDesign_) June 17, 2017
The strategy has three aims, to improve player behaviour and respect, increase actual playing time and to increase fairness and attractiveness.
If these proposals are passed at the ifab, the next stage would involve the ideas being discussed at various meetings before decisions are taken on whether to develop them further or discard them.
You can read the full report here.
