Football chiefs decide NOT to extend half time to 25 minutes with IFAB fearing the idea could have a ‘negative impact on player welfare’, after fans hit out at plan to ‘Americanise the game’
- Football authorities dismissed a proposal to increase half time to 25 minutes
- IFAB ruled that players could suffer from a longer period of inactivity
- Fans were angered by the idea that could bring ‘American-style’ entertainment
Half times will not be extended from 15 minutes to 25 after football’s lawmakers discussed and dismissed the controversial idea at a meeting on Thursday morning.
News that the International Football Association Board had received a request from CONMEBOL, the South American governing body, to consider extending the length of intervals was criticised by supporters. It would have enabled football to introduce Super Bowl-style half-time entertainment and fans bashed this as an attempt to ‘Americanise’ the game.
Now, the money-spinning idea has been thrown out, after being raised at IFAB’s Annual Business Meeting, chaired by world governing body FIFA, where potential changes to the laws of the game were discussed.
Football chiefs have opted not to increase half time from 15 minutes to 25 minutes
Authorities dismissed the controversial idea to create more of a spectacle for supporters
It was agreed that the proposal to increase half times to 25 minutes should not be taken forward, because of the ‘potential negative impact on player welfare and safety resulting from a longer period of inactivity’.
CONMEBOL had argued it would benefit their competitions, including the Copa Libertadores, the final of which takes place between Palmeiras and Flamengo this weekend. They felt it would make it more of a spectacle for supporters in the stadium and at home, citing how well it is received in other sports, such as the Super Bowl.
As reported by Sportsmail earlier this week, IFAB’s advisory panels had already expressed concerns that this change could increase the risk of players picking up injuries in the second half. The current laws of the game, which state ‘players are entitled to an interval at half time, not exceeding 15 minutes’, will now stay the same.
A meeting concluded that the proposal could impact negatively on player welfare
A similar attempt to increase the length of half times to 20 minutes in 2009 was unsuccessful, with supporters criticising it as a blatant attempt to commercialise the game.
Longer half times would create opportunities for football to make more money.
Half-times in the NFL tend to last around 12 minutes. In the Super Bowl, however, they can last up to 30 minutes. It was said to have cost advertisers $5.5million to secure a 30-second ad in 2021 when Canadian singer The Weeknd performed.
Fans had been angered by the idea that could ‘Americanise’ the game – with Super Bowl-style entertainment. Pictured: The Weeknd at this year’s Super Bowl half time show