Stoppage time of more than 10 minutes, which was a regular feature of games at the World Cup in Qatar, is back on the football agenda.
FIFA’s rule-making panel, known as the IFAB, gave extra time on the agenda published on Wednesday for its annual meeting next month. The changes made on March 4 may be effective from the next session.
Negotiations set out on “possible measures to create better conditions for both teams in terms of the amount of time available in a match, with a particular focus on the stricter calculation of extra time.”
100-minute games became routine at the last World Cup as referees followed FIFA’s advice to add a more precise amount of time for stoppages due to goal celebrations, injuries, video reviews and substitutions.
The directive was part of a long-standing FIFA aim to create more active playing time on the field and better value to fans and spectators.
This led to a record-setting long game in the World Cup, which included the addition of over 10 minutes of stoppage-time throughout the tournament.
Although a head injury caused more than 14 minutes of stoppage time in the England-Iran first half, more than 13 minutes were added in the second half of Saudi Arabia’s impressive 2–1 victory over eventual champions Argentina.
The United States’ 1–1 draw with Wales started at 10 p.m. on the second day of the tournament. in Doha and ended the next day after about 11 minutes had been added to the second half.
Organizers such as individual domestic leagues have not followed FIFA’s example, although some said they were not prepared to change the policy mid-season and would revisit the subject in the off-season.
The FIFA trial at the Club World Cup in Morocco of live broadcasts will also be discussed during a video review of communications between match officials at the IFAB meeting in London.
Other topics include allowing teams to have an additional substitute when a player sustains a suspected injury, although not the emergency temporary replacement requested by global players’ union FIFPRO and some head injury experts.
The IFAB panel consists of representatives from FIFA and the four British Soccer Federations. The weighted voting structure towards FIFA means that football’s world body can veto any proposal.