Stop the clock (10 Viewers)

[Otis]

A lot of that isn't about wasting time though per sé, it's more about disrupting momentum - that won't be changed by stopping the clock, it just means games will go on for considerably longer.

I am not against the notion of trialling it, in fact I believe it has been done at very low levels (although the lower the level, the lower the stakes & less of an issue I'd wager) but let's say miraculously the FA decided "Yep, it works, let's implement it" you would need every other nation that plays the game to agree & adopt it too. Will never happen.

Never get the complaints about the ball in the corner tactic either, that is proper game management, ball is in play, time is ticking on - perfectly legitimate. What next, ban teams from keeping possession when leading?

The simple fact is, the issues people are raising all have solutions already in the Laws of the Game, they just aren't implemented.

Not sure they all are, but some are for sure. Refs clearly are not allocating the correct amount of minutes in games. No idea why. It nearly always causes puzzlement.

I wonder what refs and office think on this matter. Would be interesting to gauge

 

---

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

The simple fact is, the issues people are raising all have solutions already in the Laws of the Game, they just aren't implemented.

I disagree. The laws are wholly inadequate to deal with this problem and situations are far too open to interpretation for there to be any consistency.

 

[Frostie]

I disagree. The laws are wholly inadequate to deal with this problem and situations are far too open to interpretation for there to be any consistency.

What isn't covered under the current laws?

Agree on the open to interpretation bit, as I said before the new guidelines for EFL officials can only be seen as a positive step but we'll have to see how it plays out.

There was definitely an increased threshold for fouls vs Sunderland - both Gyökeres & Stewart got some pretty tough treatment without winning free-kicks, but the supposed clamp downs on holding at set-pieces & time wasting clearly didn't happen.

Referees will reduce time-wasting and punish dissent next season

It is understood the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, the governing body of match officials in England, is committed to making the EFL a better product for the forthcoming campaign.

www.google.com

 

[Liquid Gold]

I voted yes but I think a compromise would be keeping it as it is but adding a timekeeping official and putting in the correct added time.

A few weeks of 15 minutes added each half would probably sort them out.

 

[Otis]

This is the 21st century. We have the technology and digital watches. Wouldn't be at all hard to have the ref's watch linked to the scoreboard.

I just think there is far too much for the referees to already contend with what with players surrounding them, dissent, being right up in their faces and chipping in their ears all game. This would clearly help refs do their jobs better in my opinion.

As I say, I think we should trial it. Meanwhile, officials have to clamp down on all the timewasting that's killing the game.

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

What isn't covered under the current laws?

Agree on the open to interpretation bit, as I said before the new guidelines for EFL officials can only be seen as a positive step but we'll have to see how it plays out.

There was definitely an increased threshold for fouls vs Sunderland - both Gyökeres & Stewart got some pretty tough treatment without winning free-kicks, but the supposed clamp downs on holding at set-pieces & time wasting clearly didn't happen.

Referees will reduce time-wasting and punish dissent next season

It is understood the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, the governing body of match officials in England, is committed to making the EFL a better product for the forthcoming campaign.

www.google.com

The fact is that even the more simple and easy to enforce rules are often ignored. Why are keepers not held to the six second rule for example. You can bank on the keeper holding the ball for as long as they can get away with if their team is in the lead.The falling on the floor each time they catch the ball is just ridiculous.
With regards to taking the ball into the corners, no it’s not against the laws of the game but it is certainly against the spirit. If football is meant to be an entertainment for paying spectators then why allow tactics like these to flourish? Do you enjoy watching that?
We aren’t very good at it but even if we were I would still hate it. Why not back yourself to score another goal or at least back yourself to keep the other team out by playing in the way you have for the previous 85 to 90 minutes.
All of the ‘game management’ tactics, time wasting, feigning fouls or injuries, rotational fouling, harassment of the ref and the ball in the corner routine are anti-football but are on the increase.

 

[Otis]

The fact is that even the more simple and easy to enforce rules are often ignored. Why are keepers not held to the six second rule for example. You can bank on the keeper holding the ball for as long as they can get away with if their team is in the lead.The falling on the floor each time they catch the ball is just ridiculous.
With regards to taking the ball into the corners, no it’s not against the laws of the game but it is certainly against the spirit. If football is meant to be an entertainment for paying spectators then why allow tactics like these to flourish? Do you enjoy watching that?
We aren’t very good at it but even if we were I would still hate it. Why not back yourself to score another goal or at least back yourself to keep the other team out by playing in the way you have for the previous 85 to 90 minutes.
All of the ‘game management’ tactics, time wasting, feigning fouls or injuries, rotational fouling, harassment of the ref and the ball in the corner routine are anti-football but are on the increase.

I do hate the taking the ball to the corners and yes, even when we do it.

Not.sure how you can eradicate that though.

It's great you can win a game by doing that in some ways, but it's awful to watch.

 

[Legia Sky Blue]

The ball in the corner thing is still there for the ref to deal with in the existing rules. Most of the time the player protecting the ball has no intention of playing it. Likewise there is normally an additional team mate nearby solely acting as a blocker. It is to all intents deliberate obstruction and therefore a foul, but for some reason refs are averse to making such a decision.

 

[Frostie]

The ball in the corner thing is still there for the ref to deal with in the existing rules. Most of the time the player protecting the ball has no intention of playing it. Likewise there is normally an additional team mate nearby solely acting as a blocker. It is to all intents deliberate obstruction and therefore a foul, but for some reason refs are averse to making such a decision.

Obstruction as a law doesn't exist anymore. This was clamped down on a few years back now. You used to see players taking the ball to the corner & then not even being in possession or playable distance of it but blocking their opponents - this is now correctly penalised. Players as always get wiser/smarter though and have got better at protecting it properly within the laws.

 

[robbiekeane]

Ball in the corner is fine for me - it’s within the rules of the game and it’s high risk…if they lose it then they are kind of fucked a lot of the time.

For me it’s about the “against the rules but hard to punish” stuff…the fake head injuries, the time taken to take a throw in, the taking ages to take a goal kick, the fake cramp, the ridiculous time taken to make a sub.

That stuff would either stop or the unfair advantage would be massively reduced. Yes you can argue that some of this is done to disrupt momentum and that will not change with a stop clock method. What will change is the ONLY potential advantage they will get is disrupting play. Time wise though it will all be added back on and you could argue that they are piling more pressure on themselves.

One thing that would concern me though is the potential to turn it into an American football style game where people plan for the ball being out after each “play”. Would hate that

 

[Liquid Gold]

Give the lino that spray refs have for free kicks to mark where a throw has to be taken

 

[Johhny Blue]

Give the lino that spray refs have for free kicks to mark where a throw has to be taken

And pepper spray if it isn’t

 

[COVKIDSNEVERQUIT]

The ball in the corner thing is still there for the ref to deal with in the existing rules. Most of the time the player protecting the ball has no intention of playing it. Likewise there is normally an additional team mate nearby solely acting as a blocker. It is to all intents deliberate obstruction and therefore a foul, but for some reason refs are averse to making such a decision.

"Shielding the ball is obstruction " well I never.

 

[CDK]

NAAAA we all love robins time.

 

[Legia Sky Blue]

"Shielding the ball is obstruction " well I never.

No, blocking someone when you have no intention of playing the ball is.

To be honest its not so much the player 'in possession' I'm that bothered about, but more the secondary player who acts as a blocking screen to prevent players easily getting to the man 'in possession'. That to me is a foul.

 

[SBAndy]

Outing myself as a sadcase here but…

Decided last night to time the ball in play from the start of the 79th minute (78:00) until the end of the game. Separately timed the stoppage time played. From that point, we ‘played’ 17:14 and the ball was in play for 7:29. Almost 10 minutes of football lost in a 17 minute frame. Mad.

 

[Liquid Gold]

Drove me mental that the ref didn’t add more than 5 after so much time was wasted during the additional too.

If people don’t want a stop the clock system then the refs need to pull their fingers out and get booking time wasting early and actually adding it on. This arbitrary few minutes is a joke.

 

[shmmeee]

Should be double time added for intentional time wasting. Preston last night got booked for not handing the ball over, then another player immediately booted the ball away and the ref did nothing.

Really weak ref last night thought TBF.

 

[Dazmataz]

The ref last night was as poor at policing the time wasting as any I've seen. He allowed them to completely kill any momentum. Players know that they can get away with time wasting with few repercussions.

 

[Frostie]

Really, really bad time management by the referee last night.

The Woodburn injury (ironically suffered by fouling Wilson for which he should have been booked) took over 3 minutes, Eccles' injury was a further 2mins then they also had the defender that lay down in the goalmouth when nobody was anywhere near him. So you're already well in excess of 5 minutes even if you think Preston wasted no time at all. Farcical.

 

[djr8369]

Really, really bad time management by the referee last night.

The Woodburn injury (ironically suffered by fouling Wilson for which he should have been booked) took over 3 minutes, Eccles' injury was a further 2mins then they also had the defender that lay down in the goalmouth when nobody was anywhere near him. So you're already well in excess of 5 minutes even if you think Preston wasted no time at all. Farcical.

Plus what, 6 subs before the 90 were up?

 

[Frostie]

Plus what, 6 subs before the 90 were up?

In fairness I think most of those were done during the injury breaks.

 

[djr8369]

In fairness I think most of those were done during the injury breaks.

Yeah true and ours was a triple sub

 

[alexccfc99]

Not an excuse cause we could have still been playing now and we wouldn’t have scored

But if there was ever a game to justify the stop the clock method being introduced it was that last night, only 5 mins as well - Madness

 

[pusbccfc]

Talk sport talking about time wasting now

 

[skybluepm2]

Was nothing less than I expected against those Neanderthals, they did it last year and are continuing the trend this season. Referee was weak, knew full well what was going on. Turned his back on every goal kick and waddled his way back the halfway line whilst their keeper dawdled to get the ball and switching to the other side of his 6 yard box. ‘Tactics’ (if you can call it that) are ruining the game as a spectacle. That being said, I rarely see us acting in the same manner even if we are defending a slender lead or playing for a draw.

 

[Hobo]

Just think if they stopped the transfer window clock everytime some bullshit rumour was paraded out - the window would never actually close

 

[robbiekeane]

World Cup 2022: Why is there so much stoppage time being added on?

The five matches at the World Cup so far have had much more stoppage time added on at the end of games than usual, but why?

www.bbc.com

It’s a bit nuts no? Feel like you either do the current system we are used to (not for me), or a 35 minute half with stop the clock.

Do do 45 minute half and add every second on is essentially a 45 minute stock the clock system. Players will be fucked

 

[Nick]

Did they mention they would be doing it before hand?

 

[robbiekeane]

Did they mention they would be doing it before hand?

The article it says the head of the referee group or whatever mentioned it last week, but obviously Noone took any notice of what I’d quite a significant difference? Seems a bit random that no one talked about it

 

[shmmeee]

All for it. More injury time goals for us.

 

[Otis]

All for it. More injury time goals for us.

I would have loved it a year or two ago. Would have meant spending less time with my wife.

 

[duffer]

I'm all for at least a trial of stopping the clock, things are just getting silly now.

The other thing I'd say is that refs aren't obliged to stop the game for every injury.

I'd clarify it so that for other than a serious contact injury, or a head injury, the game goes on.

Players can either remove themselves from the field for treatment, or the opposition can (should they choose and if it's feasible given where the injury has occured) play around them whilst they are treated or they can recover on their own. (This works reasonably well in rugby).

Any player with a head injury serious enough to stop the game should be automatically removed from the game for an independent concussion check, and can be replaced during the check by a rolling sub.

Goalies get six seconds to use the ball after they've picked it up or flopped on it. 20 seconds to place and take a goal kick once they are in possession of the ball.

Not saying all this is perfect, but I think formalising and enforcing something like this might also reduce the endless shithousing. I've no problem with teams taking it in the corner or stuff that's in the rules, but the whole fake injury/cramp/goal-kick stuff is ruining the game.

 

[duffer]

Rugby does a half way house with the stop clock, which does work reasonably well for them. However, as @Hobo mentioned - gamesmanship still exists. They collapse scrums, slowly join lineouts, take 59 seconds on penalties & conversions etc......
Their stop clock kicks in at the referee's discretion for injuries, subs, TMO decisions..... The clock still runs down when the ball is out of play at other times.

The reset scrum thing needs sorting for sure, but I think the ref is able to award a free kick if teams are obviously taking the mickey in their line out approach. I just wish they'd do it more often.

 

[shmmeee]

I'm all for at least a trial of stopping the clock, things are just getting silly now.

The other thing I'd say is that refs aren't obliged to stop the game for every injury.

I'd clarify it so that for other than a serious contact injury, or a head injury, the game goes on.

Players can either remove themselves from the field for treatment, or the opposition can (should they choose and if it's feasible given where the injury has occured) play around them whilst they are treated or they can recover on their own. (This works reasonably well in rugby).

Any player with a head injury serious enough to stop the game should be automatically removed from the game for an independent concussion check, and can be replaced during the check by a rolling sub.

Goalies get six seconds to use the ball after they've picked it up or flopped on it. 20 seconds to place and take a goal kick once they are in possession of the ball.

Not saying all this is perfect, but I think formalising and enforcing something like this might also reduce the endless shithousing. I've no problem with teams taking it in the corner or stuff that's in the rules, but the whole fake injury/cramp/goal-kick stuff is ruining the game.

I’d worry about how the head injury rule could be abused, under the cosh? Striker goes down holding his head and you bring a CB on for ten mins to see you through to half time. On top? Chuck a poacher on for a bit.

Agree with the thrust though.