England and the Republic of Ireland are bracing themselves for matches that could last 100 minutes or more at the Women’s World Cup.
PA reports that referees are under instruction to clamp down on time-wasting, similar to the men’s finals in Qatar last year. FIFA has informed referees taking part in the upcoming tournament in Australia and New Zealand that any delays to play caused by substitutions, treatment of injured players, goal celebrations, and VAR interventions should be added to the end of each half.
At the Qatar tournament last winter, an average of 11 minutes were added on to each match, with 27 extra minutes played in England’s opening group game against Iran. Referees will also be expected to be proactive at restarts such as free-kicks, throw-ins, and corners, and to enforce the six-second rule, which dictates how long a goalkeeper can hold onto the ball before releasing it.
