UEFA Rejects Global Crackdown on Time-Wasting, Citing Player Welfare Concerns
European football’s governing body, UEFA, has announced that it will not be joining the global crackdown on time-wasting in football matches. While FIFA and other organizations have been encouraging match officials to add more time at half-time and full-time to compensate for interruptions during the game, UEFA believes that this approach is damaging to player welfare.
The initiative to add more time to matches was implemented after the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year, where matches routinely exceeded 100 minutes in total playing time. The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which oversees the laws of the game, supported this initiative. However, UEFA has taken a different stance.
UEFA’s chief of football, Zvonimir Boban, expressed his concerns about the increasing amount of added time. He stated that it is detrimental to player welfare, particularly in the last 30 minutes of the game when players are already tired. Boban questioned the need for adding an additional 15 minutes to the game and emphasized that players and coaches have been complaining about the crowded calendar and too many games.
Boban’s comments came during a media briefing for UEFA’s pan-European recruitment drive for new referees. Roberto Rosetti, the chairman of UEFA’s referees’ committee, supported Boban’s stance and highlighted UEFA’s efforts to increase the amount of time the ball is in play during its games. He pointed out that the effective playing time in Champions League games last season was over 60 minutes, five minutes more than the average in the Premier League.
Rosetti emphasized the importance of maintaining an intensive and continuous game flow, which is one of the reasons why people enjoy watching the Champions League. He stated that UEFA instructs its referees to focus on speeding up the restart of play rather than adding more stoppage time.
While UEFA disagrees with FIFA and IFAB on time-wasting, all three organizations are aligned in their efforts to improve standards of behavior on and off the pitch. UEFA plans to crack down on unsporting behavior this season, including dissent and crowding around referees after contentious decisions. Yellow cards will be handed out to players who engage in such behavior, and managers or coaches who do the same on the sidelines will be dismissed.
Rosetti emphasized the need for consistency and strength from referees and stated that players prefer a strong referee to a weak one. UEFA believes that this crackdown on unsporting behavior will help recruit and retain more referees, as there is currently a shortfall of over 40,000 referees across Europe.
To address this shortage, UEFA is launching its first recruitment campaign called “Be A Referee!” The campaign includes a short film featuring Premier League referee Michael Oliver, leading female referee Stephanie Frappart, and former England manager Fabio Capello. The aim is to encourage more youngsters and former players to consider becoming referees.
In addition to addressing behavior and recruitment, UEFA also aims to simplify the handball rule. Referees will be instructed to focus on intentional handballs and situations where players’ arms are away from their bodies or in unnatural positions. Handballs that occur when players are not trying to make their silhouettes bigger or when their arms are supporting their weight after going to ground will not be penalized. Furthermore, yellow cards will not be awarded for blocking shots on goal in the penalty area unless they are intentional.
UEFA’s decision not to join the global crackdown on time-wasting reflects its commitment to player welfare. While FIFA and other organizations believe that adding more time compensates for interruptions during the game, UEFA believes that it is excessive and detrimental to players. As the new season approaches, UEFA’s guidelines will differ from those of its international counterpart, emphasizing the importance of player welfare and game flow.