Читать книгу Now You Know Soccer онлайн

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Why do games that are not tied at the end of regulation time often go longer?

One of the unique things about soccer is that during a match no one on or off the pitch knows exactly how long the match will go. That’s because the referee is the official timekeeper, and while regulations state that a match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each, with a mandatory break at halftime, they also state that the referee has discretion to add time to the end of each half for any stoppage of play. While the rules for games like hockey, basketball, and American football include provisions for stopping the clock (such as after a goal, or for out of bounds), the clock for a soccer game never stops, except for the during the halftime break. The referee is under no obligation to tell anyone how much additional time will be added to each half. The clock runs out only when the referee says so.

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Did you know …

• a “club” linesman can call the ball in or out over the touchline or goal lines, and can signal to the referee which team is entitled to possession of balls gone out of play, but they cannot signal for offside, or for fouls committed outside the sight of the referee.