It seems that what we saw in the 2022 FIFA World Cup was just the beginning of a landslide of changes in terms of how time is measured by referees in a football game, but this new approach could change the sport in ways we have only been able to imagine.
Reports coming in from England state that FIFA, via its International Football Association Board (IFAB), will consider key changes to the way refs handle time in the game, as football's governing body may be keen on stopping the clock during certain instances of the game to favor playing time.
FIFA's first effort to do so came in the 2022 World Cup, where large stoppage times were common in the competition. Fans were treated to games where halves had ten minutes of stoppage time or more, giving way to some interesting ends to key matches.
The report states that there are three options to change the way football is measured. The first one would be to keep things as they are, with the ref controlling the game. The second one would see the approach taken during the World Cup being the regular model (longer stoppage times). The last one would see a countdown clock being used, so playing time can increase almost immediately.
The article adds that the proposal featuring the countdown clock would only see the game being stopped during certain instances. The ones identified in the report are goal celebrations, VAR use, substitutions, penalties, and injuries.
If approved, these changes would be tested in certain leagues for two years before they are made official all over the globe.
