Games set to last more than 100 minutes

PLAYERS have been warned to prepare for more stoppage time at the end of each half in the World Cup, including time to make up for long goal celebrations. ‘Celebrations might last one or one and a half minutes,’ said Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA referees committee. ‘It’s easy to lose three, four or five minutes, and this has to be compensated at the end.’

FIFA want to crack down on time-wasting and are also pledging to add time accurately when play stops for VAR interventions, the treatment of injuries, substitutions, penalties and red cards. It will lead to games regularly lasting more than 100 minutes.

‘We want to avoid matches lasting for 40-45 minutes of active play,’ said Collina. ‘This is unacceptable.’ He also insisted there would be no restrictions on female referees made on cultural or religious grounds. So they could, for example, take charge of a game involving Saudi Arabia, Iran or Qatar, where strict Islamic law discriminates against women. There are six female officials at the tournament, including three referees.

‘They are here as officials not because they are women,’ said Collina, though he acknowledged FIFA do keep officials away from certain games for other reasons, including geographical neutrality and language.

Collina also explained how new semi-automated technology, which is in use for the first time in this World Cup, will rule on offsides. Twelve cameras around the stadium will monitor the ball and 29 data points on the players’ bodies. This will provide, almost instantly, an animated image to the VAR team to decide whether or not it is offside.