Swindon Town vs Cambridge United Matchday Thread

[No Longer Posh Red]

Ref has to be put his hand up to indicate he’s got to 5 & will then countdown from 5 to 0 - while also displaying the count with his fingers

The ref at Walsall was doing the same

[Bob's Orange]

That sounds good then. I'm sure there will be more gamesmanship tricks up teams sleeves to replace the timewasting keeper.

[TheSwindonianManSTFC]

Ripley looked like he knew what he was doing in terms of the new rule, timed it well as well in terms of game management and the ref counting down because I’m aware that they’re strict in it and have been involved in games where it’s already been enforced. It’s all to counter time-wasting but teams will always find a way around these sorts of things.

[No Longer Posh Red]

I remember the first season that they tried to clamp down on back passes or keepers wasting time.
We had a free kick just outside the six yard box at the bank end against Sheff Utd in the first game of the season, which Jimmy Quinn scored from.
After a few weeks the ref’s pretty much forgot about the rule

[Jimmy Quinn]

A bit like refs giving penalties for holding at corners.

[No Longer Posh Red]

A bit like refs giving penalties for holding at corners.

Yeah, the last World Cup being a prime example.
England got a penalty in most of the group games for that, once it got to the knockout stages, the same kind of fouls didn’t result in penalties

[TheSwindonianManSTFC]

A bit like refs giving penalties for holding at corners.

Fouls for holding at corners must be one of the most inconsistent situations in football, two opposing players holding each other could easily result in a penalty, free kick the other way or nothing happening and the referee playing on. Just comes down to the ref on the day

[Audrey]

Or giving strikers the benefit of the doubt with tight decisions.

VAR works on a gnat’s nob margin of error.

[Jimmy Quinn]

Obstruction in the penalty area or a fair shoulder barge are often contentious.

[Boydy]

It'll never happen because it would require the powers that be to admit rugby has a better set up on something but simply going to a stop watch used every time play stops for any reason & the 4th official ending the half once 45 minutes have actually been played really is the only way I can see to actually cut out time wasting.

[TheSwindonianManSTFC]

It'll never happen because it would require the powers that be to admit rugby has a better set up on something but simply going to a stop watch used every time play stops for any reason & the 4th official ending the half once 45 minutes have actually been played really is the only way I can see to actually cut out time wasting.

Yeah you’re most likely right with this. Would mean fans would get to experience a whole 90 minutes so more value for money in regards to tickets. Players and a managers though will complain that they’re getting tired and more injury prone if they’re having to play a full 90 minutes with the ball in play, especially the premier league teams with the intensity of the matches

[Nemo]

It'll never happen because it would require the powers that be to admit rugby has a better set up on something but simply going to a stop watch used every time play stops for any reason & the 4th official ending the half once 45 minutes have actually been played really is the only way I can see to actually cut out time wasting.

We'd literally still be there at 7pm most weeks - if you did "in play" time of 90 minutes you'd have a huge amount extra. In play time of say 30 minutes a half would be reasonable, actual in play time is more like 26 minutes a half / 52 a game according to this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67788454

[Ƭ̵̬̊: The Artist Formerly Known as CWIG]

Yeah the ball goes out of play way too much to do it like that in football

[Bob's Orange]

Doesn't need to be done for the ball going out of play. But maybe if the game is stopped when the physio is on? Might stop some of that time wasting gamesmanship.

[RobertT]

The MLS has tried some changes to aid that - if you go off you have to stay off for a minute I think, and if you hold up for a sub, if the players doesn't get off in <10 seconds, the playing coming on can't go on until the next stoppage (but the player going off has to go off).