Collina explains the maxi-recoveries in Qatar: “More extra time for injuries, changes and Var”

The infinite recoveries seen so far at the World Cup? Matches that expand to XXL? In the meantime, there is an explanation and it is offered by Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee who had already spoken in the past about the fact that with the IFAB (the body that presides over football regulations and of which Collina is a top member ) is considering introducing effective time. “We have given our referees specific instructions, especially for the management of injuries – says the former referee and designator of our football -. Before we were given a minute of recovery for an injury but we realized that often it was not enough Another thing to keep in mind are substitutions. Previously, each sub was worth 30 seconds. But now there are 10 substitutions and that many substitutions for a slot. It must be calculated correctly. Celebrations are a moment of great joy for those who score, but a lot of time is lost and for the opponents they are precious minutes. Finally there is the VAR, when the referee waits for the evaluation from the VAR room and when he goes to the monitor himself for review. To review any episode obviously takes time. And this time must be compensated for”.

PEOPLE WANT FOOTBALL

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The recovery given for Iran-England has been, so far, the top of the review in Qatar. “The question of matches that last less than 50 minutes of effective time is a problem that has been talked about for a long time – continues Collina -. People want to see the game of football, they want to see more football. This is why we at FIFA together with the “IFAB we have asked for years to do something to increase the effective playing time of matches. Already in the World Cup in Russia we asked the referees to take into account all stoppages, a request that was made once again for Qatar 2022. The rules of the game they say that the referee is the “timekeeper”, so he has the responsibility to decide how much time needs to be added, but it is also true that there is the fourth official who helps him in the calculation.Here in Qatar after 32 games we have on average about ten minutes of added time per game, a little more if you look at the Iran-England match, which was very particular, a special match, full of goals and with a long injury.If we look back four years ago in Ru That is, the average stoppage time allowed during the tournament was six and a half minutes. If we adapt, let’s say, considering that in Russia there were six substitutions compared to ten, if we think that the four more substitutions could mean an extra minute of added time to allow, 6’30” would become 7’30”. So we moved to 10, which is not a dramatic change, but it offers us the possibility of having on average almost 59′ of active time played so far, going from 55 of the minimum to 67 of the maximum which allows us to have so far on average almost 59′ of effective time. We are satisfied with what has been done so far and the public also seems to have appreciated it”. Now – when the championship starts again – we will understand if this tendency to compensate for lost time will take hold in Italy too. But one thing is clear: sooner or later (and always passing through the Ifab) it will arrive at the effective time and therefore ensure that all the teams have the same minutes available for the game.