With the obvious time wasting that always seems to go on (and under Pulis we were one of the worst offenders) its sometimes tempting just to go to a start and stop timing system like they have in American Football and basketball etc. in order to stop it. The fact that we have a running clock in football is anachronistic and is probably more to do with the fact that in 1870 nobody had stop watches so the ref had no choice but to use a running clock. Obviously, using a pure stop and start system like they do in many other sports is not favoured by many because of the risk it would lead to American style commercial breaks being inserted into the game. I have to admit, if you go to an ice hockey or basketball game in North America, several times during the game everyone just stops for a commercial time out. If you are watching on TV you get to watch the commercial. But if you are in the stadium you sit there twiddling your thumbs for 2 or 3 minutes until the ref gets the signal to start the game again. Its quite tedious and I would hate to see that in football. So I am not suggesting that at all. But perhaps we can learn something from Rugby.

What if we have a running clock until 15 minutes left in the half at which time the 4th official puts up a number for the added time, lets say its 3 minutes for example, and then a stop watch with 18 minutes on it takes over the time. The clock would stop every time there is a substitution or a goal kick or a throw in or an injury (real or imagined) or a foul or whatever. And if the goalie starts doing his "Oh I fell down when I caught that chest high ball and and now I have to clean the mud out of the studs in my boots four times before I can even think of kicking the ball up the field" routine, then the ref could just stop the clock and signal it not to start until 20 seconds after the paly recommences. Then, once the 18 minutes are up, a horn would sound but the play would continue until one team or the other puts the ball out of play in the other teams half. So a corner could not end the game but a goal kick would. It would instantly do away with all the time wasting nonsense that goes on in the last third of the half and also would provide some certainty as to when the game should actually end. Frankly, I find this waiting for the referee to decide if there should be an extra 2 more minutes added, and then just one more attacking play allowed quite annoying and its never consistently applied.

Comments and abuse are welcomed!