Football reforms: Scrapping 45-minute half to be debated at Ifab

A proposal to scrap 45-minute halves is to be looked at by football's lawmakers to deter time-wasting.

Instead, there could be two periods of 30 minutes with the clock stopped whenever the ball goes out of play.

Lawmaking body the International Football Association Board (Ifab) says matches only see about 60 minutes of "effective playing time" out of 90.

The idea is one of several put forward in a new strategy document designed to address football's "negativities".

Another proposal would see players not being allowed to follow up and score if a penalty is saved - if the spot-kick "is not successful", play would stop and a goal-kick awarded.

Other ideas include a stadium clock linked to a referee's watch and a new rule allowing players to effectively pass to themselves or dribble the ball when taking a free-kick.


Which ideas are up for discussion?

This is where it gets interesting. One of the proposals would allow being able to dribble straight from a free-kick to "encourage attacking play as the player who is fouled can stop the ball and then immediately continue their dribble/attacking move". Other measures include:

-passing to yourself at a free-kick, corner and goal-kick
-a stadium clock which stops and starts along with the referee's watch
-allowing the goal-kick to be taken even if the ball is moving
-a goal-kick being taken on the same side that the ball went out on
-a "clearer and more consistent definition" of handball
-a player who scores a goal or stops a goal with his hands gets a red card
-a keeper who handles a backpass or throw-in from a team-mate concedes a penalty
-the referee can award a goal if a player stops a goal being scored by handling on or close to the goal-line
-referees can only blow for half-time or full-time when the ball goes out of play
-a penalty kick is either scored or missed/saved and players cannot follow up to score to stop encroachment into the penalty area

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40311889

if they want to stop the ball whenever the ball goes out of play they need to push it further and also stops time when the ref stops the game, and the ball is infield.

-referees can only blow for half-time or full-time when the ball goes out of play

about the only one that sounds sane to me.

goddamn, stop ruining the beautiful game

kys

RealGunner wrote:A proposal to scrap 45-minute halves is to be looked at by football's lawmakers to deter time-wasting.

Instead, there could be two periods of 30 minutes with the clock stopped whenever the ball goes out of play.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40311889

What a shit idea. Them greedy "football lawmakers" ffs... we all know why they do this.

I grew up watching north american sports on tv, now i fear i'll have to endure a commercial break every 10 minutes while watching football as well.
Obviously they won't implement this right now, people would go crazy because the change is too drastic, but progressively over the years ? they might.

a "clearer and more consistent definition" of handball
a keeper who handles a backpass or throw-in from a team-mate concedes a penalty

These 2 seems like it should merit way more discussion than changing the 45 minute halves which, as Warrior mentioned, we all know what it really is about.

But are any of the breaks in football big enough for commercials to occur? I could only see it happening during an injury. Nobody cuts to a commercial for 20 seconds and comes back.

No doubt in my mind it's an attempt to commercialize the game, but I'm not sure how it does that. Let me be clear however that I think it's an awful idea, and I hope it gets shot down immediately.

In fact almost all of these are terrible. The game is fine as it is, just needs some tweaks with refereeing, which is currently happening.