FIFA to introduce new ‘game clock’ rule to prevent time wasting in football: Reports

Game clock is an extremely American concept where every time the ball goes out of play, the clock stops

FIFA to introduce new ‘game clock’ rule to prevent time wasting in football: Reports

FIFA is immensely considering a new “game clock” rule which would stop the time when the ball goes out of play in an attempt to make the game fairer and prevent time wasting. This new change has been proposed in the aftermath of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where teams utilized time wasting to the maximum which led to games being played for a longer time than necessary.

This decision has sparked debate and controversy among fans and professionals alike as FIFA is set to propose the idea at the International Football Association Board meeting which will be held next week in London.

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The “game clock” rule has been the birthchild of controversy in the FIFA World Cup regarding time wasting and lesser time being played in the Premier League. In the Arsenal vs Newcastle fixture which ended 0-0, the ball was reportedly in play for 43 minutes which makes the governing bodies furthermore think the new rule is extremely necessary.

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FIFA set to retain 4-team group format for 2026 World Cup

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FIFA is set to retain the four-team group format for the upcoming 2026 World Cup scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The format has been successful since its inception and FIFA looks to keep it that way. Since 1998, the final two matches of the group is played on the same day to reduce the chances of teams playing matches to kick one team out of the tournament.

The group stages will consist of 32 teams out of which 16 will qualify for the knockout stages. The qualifiers for the upcoming world cup are set to be inaugurated in March 2024.

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