FAFF-BALL has been part of our newspapers' sports' pages today with a table of Average ball-in-play times, ranging from 2011-12 to present. Somebody has timed all the Premier League games over this period (and maybe many other fixtures in the past and in other leagues) to record that the ball has been IN PLAY on average at least for 54 minutes 35 seconds this season so far and mostly OUT OF PLAY for 56.43 in 2013-14 and 2018-19....what are the chances of that happening?
Whilst the match at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Liverpool was full of relentless excitement, the punter is getting fewer "ball in play" rewards for their entrance fee, than ever in the last decade. For nearly 36 minutes the ball is not in play. The "added time" digital display will not ever show 36 minutes or so left to play!
Time in play had decreased over the past 10 years; mind you many have not witnessed this decline since there have not been full houses due to Covid. There is no excuse!
Pitches are better, like carpets, with fewer opportunities for a shanked pass or shot to leave the playing area, due to a bobbly lump in the pitch. I played on Horsham's Wealden "clay" in my school days and one Saturday morning, the Collyers GS 1st XI pitch developed a large hole in the pitch, where saturated clay, caused a "natural" drain to collapse mid-game. The ref, a man who had actually run the line at the FA Amateur Cup Final at Wembley, in the 1960s and who was our head of PE, decided the best option was to plant a bamboo cane in the pitch where the hole was, to warn everyone where the hole was and to allow the game to carry on. One of the lads missed this safety factor and fell into the hole taking the bamboo cane with him.
There are, in our modern professional game many ways to keep the game close to 90 minutes. There are loads of spare balls and ball boys (and crowd) around the pitch to hurry things along; players are coached to retain possession and not give the ball a "hoof" over the stand, players are fitter and more skilful.
At the weekend, despite the excitement of the Premier's highly charged matches, Danny Ings scored for Villa and the game then took 72 seconds to restart. VAR was not the culprit, there was no confusion. Celebration was the culprit; the slow team hugging and back slapping, the stroll back to the centre circle, the taking on of water caused the delay. Brentford's equaliser brought a 68 second delay and the winner 73 seconds. Refs, of course, have discretion to add time on at the end of halves but this is recorded as about 30 seconds on average.
Injuries add time especially when somebody is "poleaxed"; I dread to think how these chaps would get on in a rugby ruck. Villa's Trezeguet went down under gun fire over the weekend and then had to be subbed and of course, players have to dash to the "bench" for water and instructions. Other noteworthy time wasting advice includes, win corners and throw ins when ever you can, slow the game down; when you score, return to the kick off as slowly as you can from the celebratory corner flag! (assuming you are in the lead!) and stand in front of the free kick to prevent it from being taken, oh yes, you know, hoof the ball over the stand....!
American football has the answer, doesn't it? Games last for hours and the stadium sales benefit. You should watch Moneyball.
Whenever there is a change in possession, the clock stops and sides change their personnel, alternating between their 11-man offensive and defensive units. Usually, these breaks in play whilst the clock is stopped are marked by commercial breaks as the NFL takes full advantage of its vast global outreach. An average game features around 12 possessions per team, with each change usually welcoming a round of TV commercials. Factor in roughly two video reviews of controversial calls, penalties, three time-outs per side where they can tactically choose to stop the clock and a break with two minutes remaining at the end of each half and it’s clear to see how the number of commercial breaks significantly increases the time a game takes to complete.
On March 30th 1946 Stockport County (motto "courage and faith") and Doncaster Rovers played a match at Edgeley Park that lasted 3 hours and 23 minutes. It was a Div 3 North Cup replay that had ended 2-2 after 90 minutes. The replay ended 2-2. Extra time was 30 minutes; no winner. The next stage was "Play to win" a common place "Golden Goal" event in war time football. There was a disallowed goal for Stockport's, Les Cocker, after 173 minutes. He played at Stockport until 1953 (173 apps). Darkness caused a postponement-well it was war time. A coin toss allowed Donny to play at home and they won 4-0. Cocker, as well as playing at Accrington Stanley until 1958, joined the FA and was the "trainer-assistant" coach for England from 1962-77, including the World Cup win in 1966, supporting manager, Alf Ramsey. Having worked at Luton Town and Leeds Utd, he went to the UAE to coach and ended up at Donny! Les is with Bobby Charlton at Wembley-guess the game?
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