ZURICH: The 10-plus minutes of stoppage time that were a regular feature of games at the World Cup in Qatar are back on soccer’s agenda.
FIFA’s rule-making panel known as IFAB put additional time on the agenda published Wednesday for its annual meeting next month. Changes agreed on March 4 can take effect next season.
Talks are scheduled on “possible measures to create fairer conditions for both teams in terms of the amount of time available in a match, with a particular focus on a stricter calculation of additional time.”
Games of 100 minutes became routine at the last World Cup as referees followed FIFA advice to add on more accurate amounts 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 give fans and viewers better value.
It led to record-setting long games at the World Cup with a slew of stoppage-time additions of more than 10 minutes early in the tournament.
Though a head injury helped to cause 14-plus minutes of stoppage time in the first half of England-Iran, there were more than 13 minutes added to the second half of Saudi Arabia’s stunning 2-1 win over eventual champion Argentina.
The United States’ 1-1 draw with Wales on the second day of the tournament kicked off at 10 p.m. in Doha and finished the next day once almost 11 minutes were added to the second half.
Organizers such as individual domestic leagues have not followed FIFA’s example, though some said they were unwilling to change policy midseason and would revisit the subject in the offseason.
FIFA trials at the Club World Cup in Morocco of live broadcasts during video reviews of communications between match officials will also be discussed at the IFAB meeting in London.
Other subjects include allowing an extra substitute for teams when a player sustains a suspected concussion, though not the emergency temporary replacements requested by the global players’ union FIFPRO and some head injury experts.
The IFAB panel includes representative of FIFA and the four British soccer federations. The voting structure weighted toward FIFA means soccer’s world body can veto any proposal.
FIFA rules panel to debate more stoppage time in games
https://arab.news/y9gbm
FIFA rules panel to debate more stoppage time in games
- Changes agreed on March 4 can take effect next season
- Organizers such as individual domestic leagues have not followed FIFA's example
Chelsea ride luck to beat Brentford in coach Rosenior’s league debut
- It was Chelsea who found the net, however, when Pedro turned and fired a bullet shot
- The Brazilian was initially ruled offside but the goal was given after a VAR check
LONDON: Chelsea beat London neighbors Brentford 2-0 on Saturday in the first Premier League match under coach Liam Rosenior thanks to a Joao Pedro strike and a Cole Palmer penalty, but they were let off the hook as the visitors wasted a string of chances.
After a run of nine league games with only one win – most of which was under former coach Enzo Maresca who left the club on January 1 – Chelsea managed only two attempts on target all game with Brentford on top for much of each half.
It was Chelsea who found the net, however, when Pedro turned and fired a bullet shot into the top corner of Caoimhin Kelleher’s net in the 26th minute.
The Brazilian was initially ruled offside but the goal was given after a VAR check.
Palmer doubled Chelsea’s lead from the penalty spot in the 76th minute after Kelleher failed to control the ball and, in his desperation to win it back, tripped substitute Liam Delap. The win pushed Chelsea up to sixth in the table, leapfrogging Brentford who had been unbeaten in six league games.
For the visitors, Kevin Schade blew a great chance to open the scoring in the first half but attempted a pass instead and Mathias Jensen hit a post when in space at the far post.
Five minutes into the second half, Schade had an opportunity to make amends for his profligacy when he was put through on goal but his shot was diverted wide by the outstretched foot of the advancing Robert Sanchez.
“We just weren’t clinical enough with the chances we had,” Brentford coach Keith Andrews told the BBC. “We didn’t give up anything at the other end. I’m proud of the performance levels. The growth of the team is there for everyone to see.”
There were cheers of relief rather than celebration at the final whistle from the home fans, some of whom staged a protest outside Stamford Bridge before the game against Chelsea’s US private equity-led owners.
Their strategy of focusing on young players — with more than 1 billion pounds ($1.34 billion) spent since their takeover of the club in 2022 — has yet to turn into consistency on the pitch, frustrating many supporters.
