Explained: What is the stoppage-time rule change criticised by Guardiola, Varane and De Bruyne

Arsenal scored in the 11th minute of 13 stoppage time minutes against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium during the FA Community Shield on Sunday. That, and disallowing a player who received on-field treatment from returning for 30 seconds, were two of the multiple new refereeing directives introduced in the traditional fixture between the FA Cup and Premier League winners. Originally only eight minutes of stoppage time was scheduled but it was prolonged after a clash of heads between Thomas Partey and Kyle Walker required medical intervention. Beyond the Community Shield, almost all of the weekend’s Championship matches, England’s second division, exceeded the 100-minute mark. What is the new stoppage-time rule? Football’s lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), had announced its aim to “create fairer conditions for both teams in terms of the amount of time available in a match” earlier in the year. The trend was visible at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar where average match length (excluding matches that went to extra time) stood at 102 minutes. FIFA said 10 minutes and 11 seconds of added time was kept on average during the tournament. On average, the half-time whistle came in the 49th minute and the second half lasted 53 minutes - nearly 15 minutes of more football than the regulation 90 minutes. Based on the recommendation by IFAB, England’s Football Association and English Football League have asked the officials to add the exact time taken for things like goals, substitutions, or injuries rather than the “nominal” amount used before. How much time is wasted in football? The average time of actual football, with the ball in play, keeps going down as you go lower down the English football pyramid. Premier League average in 2022-23 was 55 minutes, Championship was 52 minutes, League One was 50 minutes and League Two was 48 minutes. A study in 2021 in Spain had found LaLiga games witness between three and five minutes less than other four major European leagues. Spain’s first division accounted for nearly 51 minutes of ball in play while that of Ligue 1 was 55 minutes and 41 seconds, Serie A was 54 minutes and 30 seconds and Bundesliga was 53 minutes and 26 seconds. How have the players and managers reacted to the new rules? Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: “It was annoying but we have to get used to it. I had the feeling, not because we were winning 1-0, but that not much happened to extend it for eight minutes.” “It’s a good question for the international board and people because they don’t consult with managers and players and we have to accept it with this amount of games. Now the games will be 100 minutes. Nothing happened today and there was eight minutes.” “They extend for goals. If you score 4-3 you put 45 seconds for seven goals, tomorrow morning at 9am I am [still] here playing.”

We had a meeting last week with the FA. They recommended from the referees new decisions and rules.

From the managers and players, we have shared our concerns for many years now that there are too many games, the schedule is overcrowded, and it’s at a dangerous level for…

— Raphaël Varane (@raphaelvarane) August 7, 2023

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane: “From the managers and players, we have shared our concerns for many years now that there are too many games, the schedule is overcrowded, and it’s at a dangerous level for players’ physical and mental well-being. “Despite our previous feedback, they have now recommended for next season: longer games, more intensity, and less emotions to be shown by players. We just want to be in good condition on the pitch to give 100% to our club and fans. Why are our opinions not being heard?” Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne: “We spoke to the Arsenal players and even the referees [about it] – they don’t even want to do it, but it’s the new rule and it’s what it is.” “A game like today, even the first half with three minutes extra, you can only guess what’s going to happen if you play a lower team who keep time-wasting all the time.” “Today we played 12 to 13 minutes. I can see games going for 20-25 minutes [extra]. I think this will change in one to two months, but this is the first game. I’m thinking if we play Sevilla in Olympiakos [in the Uefa Super Cup] on Wednesday [16 August] and have 15-20 extra minutes and then play on Saturday again [against Newcastle] it’s like two times extra time. We’ll see how it goes, but it doesn’t make any sense.”