Is it time to stop time?

I have kindly been asked by John Lanari, who is an avid fan of AFCB and Cherry Chimes, if he can write a few afternoon articles on Cherry Chimes. So, I'm letting him have his say for a few days, and giving you all a flavour of how a Canadian fan views AFCB and the game over here. He starts with a view on  the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, which we have heard will be in place at the FIFA World Cup this year and with sponsorship!

As a North American sports fan who just really discovered football in the past few years, I can readily see what causes all the passion and intensity. I have become an avid AFCB supporter (hopefully I can cover how that came to be in another article, with Peter’s approval!).

Time out!

North American sports have become marathon events. Hockey and basketball games run to 2 ½ hours, American football over 3 hours – all before any overtime. Much of this is due to commercial television, and some because of the ever-extending use of video replay. All use stop time, so the clock stops while play is out. Premier League Football is such an efficient alternative, under 2 hours, continuous action except for the break at the half, and you get a result. So, I am reluctant to suggest anything to lengthen proceedings.

Stoppage time is of course part of the fabric of the game, and always produces a momentary frisson as we learn how much time we will have to capture a tying goal or defend a win. However, one aspect of football time is the wasting of time. We see it often – the underdog or away team has worked valiantly to earn a point on the given day; a point that might just keep the team up when the season is done. It is late in the game so now the fun begins.

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> A player substitution is made. The player being substituted always seems to find himself at the furthest point of the pitch. He meanders back to the bench, saluting his fans in true gladiatorial style, pausing to occasionally trade words and handshakes with teammates along the way. Opposing players (behaving much like the early humans at the beginning of 2001, A Space Odyssey) jump up and down around the referee, who makes a grand gesture of pointing to his watch to indicate that he has it under control. The opposing manager meanwhile is berating the fourth official to get on with it. A gentle shove of the departing player may occur, further extending the pause.

> A player is down on the pitch. The medical staff comes on. Once again, the histrionics occur.

During such situations, particularly in the second half, wouldn’t it be just as easy to stop the clock until play is resumed? This would not eliminate stoppage time per se, but simply remove these obvious events from the equation.

VAR, should it take root, will also bring about additional breaks in play. In the recent FA Cup game between Leicester and Fleetwood, VAR was used on three noticeable occasions in the second half. Referee Jon Moss conferred with the VAR official on a ball which travelled over the end line (correct call on the field), a possible hold in the penalty area (not given), and an offside call on a score by Iheanacho (reversed, for the first VAR goal awarded). Reports are that play was stopped for 69 seconds on the offside review, so add 20 seconds for each of the other calls and that is nearly two minutes of playing time. I saw no evidence that stoppage time was increased by the two minutes lost. Again, why not just stop the clock during reviews?

Opinions on VAR have been all over the map, and is not the subject for debate here. All I will say, again from a North American standpoint, is that once introduced, reviews in all sports have been broadened to include more and more plays in the objective to “get it right”. So, if it does get introduced in the Premier League, I can only hope that its use will be contained.

When stoppage time works for you, it’s a great thing – e.g. our win at Newcastle early in the season. When it works against you, it’s horrible – e.g. our loss to Manchester City in the 97th minute. It will always be part of the game. But the judicious use of “referee’s time out” in the situations mentioned might just make for greater certainty.

You can contact John at e: jlanari@rogers.com He particularly wants to fond more AFC Bournemouth fans in Toronto if you are out their reading this.

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