Scrapping 45-minute half to be debated at Ifab

Really messing about with the game far too much.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40311889

A proposal to scrap 45-minute halves is to be looked at by football's lawmakers to deter time-wasting.

Instead, there could be two periods of 30 minutes with the clock stopped whenever the ball goes out of play.

Lawmaking body the International Football Association Board (Ifab) says matches only see about 60 minutes of "effective playing time" out of 90.

The idea is one of several put forward in a new strategy document designed to address football's "negativities".

Another proposal would see players not being allowed to follow up and score if a penalty is saved - if the spot-kick "is not successful", play would stop and a goal-kick awarded.

Other ideas include a stadium clock linked to a referee's watch and a new rule allowing players to effectively pass to themselves or dribble the ball when taking a free-kick.

Read the full strategy document here

Where have these proposals come from?

The ideas have been put forward to Ifab by stakeholders in the game to tackle "on-field issues" and form part of what it calls its "Play Fair strategy", which has three aims of:

improving player behaviour and increasing respect
increasing playing time
increasing fairness and attractiveness
Part of the problem the new document highlights is that a 90-minute match has fewer than 60 minutes of playing time because of stoppages and time-wasting.

Which plans need no law changes?

The document has put forward a number of radical ideas for discussion, but suggests some proposals can be implemented immediately without the need for law changes.

Most of these apply to trying to combat time-wasting. The document says match officials should be stricter on the rule which allows keepers to hold the ball for six seconds and be more stringent when calculating additional time.

Additionally, it suggests match officials stop their watch:

from a penalty being awarded to the spot-kick being taken
from a goal being scored until the match resumes from the kick-off
from asking an injured player if he requires treatment to play restarting
from the referee showing a yellow or red card to play resuming
from the signal of a substitution to play restarting
from a referee starting to pace a free-kick to when it is taken
Which plans are ready for testing?

Some of the proposals are already being tested. The idea of only allowing captains to speak to referees - to prevent match officials being mobbed - will be trialled at this summer's Confederations Cup, which starts on Saturday.

Another proposal involves changing the order of kick-taking in penalty shoot-outs, known as 'ABBA'. It is similar to a tie-break in tennis, with team A taking the first kick, then team B taking two, then team A taking two. That is a change from the traditional 'team A, team B, team A, team B' pattern.

New suggestions also include players who are being substituted leaving at the closest part of the touchline to them instead of at the halfway line.

Which ideas are up for discussion?

This is where it gets interesting. One of the proposals would allow being able to dribble straight from a free-kick to "encourage attacking play as the player who is fouled can stop the ball and then immediately continue their dribble/attacking move". Other measures include:

passing to yourself at a free-kick, corner and goal-kick
a stadium clock which stops and starts along with the referee's watch
allowing the goal-kick to be taken even if the ball is moving
a goal-kick being taken on the same side that the ball went out on
a "clearer and more consistent definition" of handball
a player who scores a goal or stops a goal with his hands gets a red card
a keeper who handles a backpass or throw-in from a team-mate concedes a penalty
the referee can award a goal if a player stops a goal being scored by handling on or close to the goal-line
referees can only blow for half-time or full-time when the ball goes out of play
a penalty kick is either scored or missed/saved and players cannot follow up to score to stop encroachment into the penalty area
Who has come up with these proposals?

Ifab is made up of Fifa and the four British home football associations - of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - and is responsible for making the final decision on law changes.

Former English referee David Elleray is Ifab's technical director and has overseen the document.

"Referees, players, coaches and fans all agree that improving player behaviour and respect for all participants and especially match officials, increasing playing time and the game's fairness and attractiveness must be football's main priority," he said.

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.

The ref has power already to stop time wasting so just do it,

AND

If they started sending off players that shirt pull in the box that would cut that out as well.

Well all the chocolate, sweets, cakes and drinks manufacturers have been at it for years.
Less product for the same price, suppose it was only a question of time.

Monkeyboy- started reading your post but had to stop for breakfast and then before I knew it it was dinner time-hope to carry on tomorrow -fathers day-will most likely be grand fathers day when finished but sounds very interesting so far .

Quoted from golfer

Monkeyboy- started reading your post but had to stop for breakfast and then before I knew it it was dinner time-hope to carry on tomorrow -fathers day-will most likely be grand fathers day when finished but sounds very interesting so far .

It was merely a copy n paste for those that cant click links lol.

Subs going off the pitch at their closest point would be one thing....it has been quite clear of late the player coming off gets the nod and wanders off to the farthest point of the pitch just before his number is held up...and then limps back slowly.  

Stopping the clock is a great idea. Virtually every other sport does it.

Time wasting, feigning injury and falling over when feeling the slightest contact are a big problem in the game today, something needs doing about it before it ruins the game.

Random quote:
I was watching Germany and got up to make a cup of tea. I bumped into the telly and Klinsmann fell over. FRANK SKINNER 1994

The law stating only Captains can approach the Ref has been in place for quite a while now, it's just that the players ignore it and the refs allow it to happen!

I wouldn't get too hung up on keeping to a 'traditional' set of rules. Compared to Association Football of the 1870s the game is unrecognisable.

I wouldn't disagree with stopping the watch for certain incidents. 30 minutes sounds too short though.

As for the others:
passing to yourself at a free-kick, corner and goal-kick - can't see why this should be adopted
a stadium clock which stops and starts along with the referee's watch - agree
allowing the goal-kick to be taken even if the ball is moving - no problem
a goal-kick being taken on the same side that the ball went out on - YES!
a "clearer and more consistent definition" of handball - OK
a player who scores a goal or stops a goal with his hands gets a red card - yes
a keeper who handles a backpass or throw-in from a team-mate concedes a penalty - harsh
the referee can award a goal if a player stops a goal being scored by handling on or close to the goal-line - yes
referees can only blow for half-time or full-time when the ball goes out of play - why?
a penalty kick is either scored or missed/saved and players cannot follow up to score to stop encroachment into the penalty area - why not enforce the current rule?

ABBA penalties would be great too. Would love to see Agnatha's bum wiggling as she runs up in her platform soled boots.

How about keep it as it is with 45 minutes per half and just scrap added time and stop the clock when play stops. Straight red for time wasting with 3 match ban and a fine for the player and the club involved. That'd soon stop time wasting.

I kind of like it, especially the penalty idea. Stopping the clock too would make it more enjoyable, but would it make it harder for games to be scheduled on tv since how long a game is isn't set in stone and could change.

Quoted from kamakazebear

I kind of like it, especially the penalty idea. Stopping the clock too would make it more enjoyable, but would it make it harder for games to be scheduled on tv since how long a game is isn't set in stone and could change.

Can't see it being an issue at all as the length is still fairly predictable and you just allow enough waffle time at the end to cope. Nearly all live games are shown on subscription channels anyway. I know the likes of the BBC still show the odd game and they'll have something like Songs of Praise afterwards, but they are a bit player these days so they'll either have to liek it or lump it. The fact remains that the vast majority of professional games aren't televised.

I'd be delighted if this rule change came in, it's the worse thing about football IMHO.

The time thing is a good idea in theory. I got fed up of watching sides like Southow or Barrport or whoever taking 3 hours over a goal kick as soon as the game kicked off so it's a shame it wasn't considered a while back!

The penalty idea's nonsense though.

What i want to see is an end to an injured player walking onto the pitch then sitting down getting the game stopped and waiting for a sub to warm up. If he could walk onto the pitch he can at least crawl off again, soon stop if refs ignored them

Stay as we are but just send divers and time wasters off-full stop.

If you send off time wasters then our keeper would be sent off every time we're defending a lead.

Quoted from Mariner_09

If you send off time wasters then our keeper would be sent off every time we're defending a lead.

Then he should stop

Quoted from Mariner_09

If you send off time wasters then our keeper would be sent off every time we're defending a lead.

Yes  

They should look at Rugby Union to how the refs get respect, no swearing etc. they dont stand for it.

What happened to the proposed idea of the Sin Bin?

It was binned

Quoted from monkeyboy

Lawmaking body the International Football Association Board (Ifab) says matches only see about 60 minutes of effective football

They've clearly not seen a Cheltenham game the past 2 seasons.

I would suggest that the real motivation for this suggestion is money (as ever).
The pay-to-view TV companies hate 45 minute plus added time periods without adverts, so if a couple (say) of adverts can be slipped into each half during time-out periods then they could probably sell them at a premium, increasing revenue and the football leagues could probably expect an increase in what they receive for broadcasting rights, so they can pay themselves even more.

Quoted from Barrattstander

I would suggest that the real motivation for this suggestion is money (as ever).
The pay-to-view TV companies hate 45 minute plus added time periods without adverts, so if a couple (say) of adverts can be slipped into each half during time-out periods then they could probably sell them at a premium, increasing revenue and the football leagues could probably expect an increase in what they receive for broadcasting rights, so they can pay themselves even more.

That sounds spot on.

But it wouldn't be an x minute time out. Surely it'd be no more possible to squeeze a bet365 advert into the time it takes Ben Foster to retrieve the ball for a goal kick than it is now?

Quoted from Abdul19

But it wouldn't be an x minute time out. Surely it'd be no more possible to squeeze a bet365 advert into the time it takes Ben Foster to retrieve the ball for a goal kick than it is now?

It won't be long that those 'video referee reviews' or whatever they're called, are sponsored. You'll see a logo appearing in the screen they show.

The out/not out decisions in cricket are so I'd expect so too.

Quoted from Mariner Ronnie

They've clearly not seen a Cheltenham game the past 2 seasons.

Cheltenham are for me the biggest time wasters and cheats I have ever seen in 40 years of following Town at BP.
Just my opinion of course.

Quoted from promotion plaice

Cheltenham are for me the biggest time wasters and cheats I have ever seen in 40 years of following Town at BP.
Just my opinion of course.

They're Argentina/Portugal without the ball skills.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

They're Argentina/Portugal without the ball skills.

Don't forget the Spanish as they are in my opinion the biggest cheats in world football.

Quoted from promotion plaice

Don't forget the Spanish as they are in my opinion the biggest cheats in world football.

Yeah, but so far it's been the other two that have done over England.