Collina defends decision to increase added time minutes

December 1 – Almost every game at this World Cup has exceeded 100 minutes in length, but FIFA’s head of referees has defended his referees for the vast amounts of injury time being added.

The result has been that pretty much all matches at this World Cup have become lengthy affairs, with some games having double digit injury time minutes.

“What we already did in Russia [2018] was to more accurately calculate the time to be compensated,” Collina said previously.

Goals, VAR checks, substitutions and general time-wasting have all contributed to the injury time being added on.

“We told everybody to don’t be surprised if they see the fourth official raising the electronic board with a big number on it, six, seven or eight minutes.

“If you want more active time, we need to be ready to see this kind of additional time given. Think of a match with three goals scored. A celebration normally takes one, one and a half minutes, so with three goals scored, you lose five or six minutes.

“What we want to do is accurately calculate the added time at the end of each half. It can be the fourth official to do that, we were successful in Russia and we expect the same in Qatar.

“I am not talking about VAR intervention, this is something which is different and calculated by the Video Assistant Referee in a very precise way.

“Even at the time I was a referee, the info [on added time] came from the fourth official, you are too much focused on what’s going on that it’s possible not to consider something. It’s the fourth official who usually proposes the amount of added time and the referee tends to decide…and decides.”

However, with the huge amounts of added time, has also come considerations over how teams should plan for the game. Should coaches be planning and training players for 100+ minute matches and what does this mean for player welfare and safety?

Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1711636796labto1711636796ofdlr1711636796owedi1711636796sni@i1711636796tnuk.1711636796ardni1711636796mas1711636796