Running out of time is one of football’s biggest nuisances, not least for players and club fans who are desperate for a point.
In the Qatar World Cup, extra minutes have so far exceeded the normal limits for extra time:
A total of 100 (!) minutes were added to regular playing time during the first six games.
– A damned problem
While many are positive about the innovation, Egil “Drillo” Olsen is more of a wait-and-see.
– I couldn’t get too annoyed because it was added too soon, says the former national team coach.
On the other hand, he is infinitely irritated by what the referees are not yet dealing with, and for which he wants to see yellow and red cards.
– A classic example is when, for example, a team leads 1-0 at the end of the game. The goalkeeper collects a cross, there isn’t a player nearby, but then he lies down and stays there for ten seconds before getting up. Referees need to start cracking down on stuff like this and giving cards to delay the clock. It is naturally negative for football. People don’t like wasting time, Drillo says passionately.
FEELING: Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais eventually began to ruminate on the ball for a long time against Argentina, where the underdog earned a resounding 2-1 victory. Photo: Ebrahim Noroozi
Because in his eyes, more additional time is little consolation if time thieves are not sufficiently punished.
– Something else that I think is bad is when a team is leading, a player gets a little tap on the shoulder and pulls down. The judges are too relaxed there. That they don’t do that kind of shooting… you see it in almost every game!
– Could the referees not dare to give a yellow card if the player actually has reason to be down?
– If they get it wrong one time out of a hundred, they better do it, to get rid of a goddamn problem. I think there’s a much harder and better way to get rid of taking time away, rather than adding more, says Drillo.
Believe in less delay
Fire captain Sivert Heltne Nilsen, known by many as one of those players in Norwegian football who likes to push the rules to the limit, is of a slightly different opinion.
He believes there will be less time lag if more is added.
– Yes, I really do. My attitude as a player has been that if I can slow down the pace, I win by doing so. We won’t get the actual time back, even if the judge says he will add, Heltne Nilsen says.
FOLLOW THE RULES: Fire Captain Sivert Heltne Nilsen is in no doubt that running out time is beneficial, even though the judges say they should add time. Photo: Bjørnar Morønning / NTB Photo: Bjørnar Morønning
He noted the World Cup trend of matches going on much longer than usual.
– I think it’s perfectly OK. Actual playing time doesn’t exceed 60 minutes in total, if we’re lucky. There is clearly an argument for more additional time. Now let’s consider those that slow down. A lot of the responsibility falls on the judges, who must not be fooled by delays and cramps, says Heltne Nilsen.
In the World Cup, the fourth referee is responsible for how much time should be added to lost playing time, while the VAR room controls the time needed to control various situations on the pitch.
Less random
NFF chief referee Terje Hauge says extra time in the World Cup appears to be more systematic than what used to be the norm in the past.
– In the past, fourth referees may have taken an approximate time: lots of injuries, lots of substitutes, lots of yellow cards, and then maybe 3-4 minutes add up. While now you’re a little more precise with your timing, start and stop, and see how much time you’ve wasted at different types of stops, he says.
HEAD REFEREES: Terje Hauge is the NFF’s Chief Judge. Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB Photo: Marit Hommedal
He describes the minutes added to the World Cup so far as “extremely high”.
On Drillo’s obsession with harsher referees when time runs out, such as when goalkeepers lay down with the ball with no one nearby, Hauge replies that it’s not necessarily as easy as it sounds.
– Here in Norway, we have not framed this type of incident as unsportsmanlike. But judges obviously have to consider each individual case. If we think the goalkeeper is taking an unnecessarily long time, we need to add time. Then we have to talk to the doorman and say “hi, don’t do this more than once”.
– But isn’t there a basis for a card the first time it happens?
– No, it’s not, says Hauge.
