The chairman of FIFA’s Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina has offered an insight into the stoppage time system at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The time added on at the end of regulation time in the tournament has been usually long compared to what fans are used to, and questions have been asked.
Collina says the change is as a result of a tweak in the system to ensure more playing time.
“At the end of each half, information comes from the Video Match Officials and the Fourth Official, and the referee adds these and decides the amount of time to be added,” explained Collina, who was one of the most recognisable referees in Europe and across the world in the 1990s and 2000s.
“If you look back to four years ago in Russia, the average stoppage time added was six-and-a-half minutes. And if we adapt, considering there were six substitutions [possible] compared to ten, the four extra substitutions would mean one extra minute.
“So we went from seven-and-a-half minutes to ten minutes, which is not a dramatic change.”
Collina insists there is a clear benefit to the change in the way stoppage time is calculated.
“What if offers us is the possibility so far to have, on average, almost 59 minutes of active time played,” he noted.
“And I repeat: it’s not that dramatic a change to watch the matches and be entertained.
“It’s like when you attend a concert – you’re happy, and you ask for an encore from the singer. And I think it’s important to offer the spectators in the stadiums and watching on television good entertainment.”
Several goals have been scored in time added on in Qatar, justifying Collina’s claims.
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