A few matches of the Qatar World Cup have been completed but a new record for stoppage time or extra time has been set.
As a result of FIFA’s new rules, the opening 5 matches of the Qatar World Cup were played in extra 85 minutes.
A football match is usually 90 minutes long with a few extra minutes added for injury and other reasons.
But during the Qatar World Cup, every match has been added an average of 8 minutes per half.
FIFA’s new rules are the result of the efforts of Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the Referee Committee, who wants to minimize time-wasting in the game.
Pierluigi Collina said the other day that we want to prevent time lost due to substitutions, penalties, goals, injuries or other reasons.
To that end, FIFA has tasked a fourth official with tracking time-wasting during a match, which is now making matches feel longer than usual.
The match between England and Iran lasted for 117 minutes and 16 seconds, partly due to the injury of the Iranian goalkeeper.
That is, 27 minutes of extra time was played in this match, while the match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia lasted for about 104 minutes.
As extra time goes on, more goals are being scored, such as the Netherlands’ 99th-minute goal against Senegal.
Similarly, Iran scored a goal in the 103rd minute against England, which is also a record in World Cup matches (excluding extra time in the knockout stages).
According to World Cup referee Danny Makkelie, matches may last even longer later in the tournament.
FIFA’s effort on social media has been applauded by many, while some feel it will increase the number of goals too late.
So if you are watching football world cup then don’t switch off the TV even after 90 minutes because the match might continue for another 20 to 30 minutes.
