The World football governing body and rule-makers are about to consider a proposal to reduce each half of a game to 30 minutes in a bid to prevent time-wasting.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has outlined a raft of radical proposed changes to the rules of the game in a new strategy document titled Play Fair! Adopting two halves of 30 minutes with the clock stopped when the ball goes out of play is one of dozens of ideas put forward by IFAB in an attempt to make football more attractive.
Among the ideas up for discussion is that of a player being allowed to pass to themselves at a free-kick, corner and goalkick, a stadium clock which stops and starts along with the referee’s watch, and allowing a goalkick to be taken even if the ball is moving.
Other ideas up “for discussion” include referees blowing for half-time or full-time only when the ball goes out of play, and a penalty kick being either scored or missed/saved, with players not allowed to follow up to score, in order to stop encroachment into the penalty area.
