why on earth did they not stop the clock for the water break this afternoon.

They just add it on at the end.

Yeah, but they don't do they. The games stopped, stop the clock.

They do, because that's what happened. They don't stop the clock when goals are scored or players are injured, they add it in 'stoppage time'. Clue's there.

Holland mexico got 4 and 6 minutes added on each half. I dont think tgat covered the water break, and the other stoppages.

It did, because that's what stoppage time is. You never get 90 minutes of the ball being active before you start going on about how other great sports stop the clock every break in play.

Lol. I just thought with them all coming off for a ten minute drink break, they would stop the clock for the duration.

6 minute water break (3 mins each half) with the time lost spread across at the end of each half. That's whats confusing you

A. You think it was a 10 minute break

B. You're expecting 10 mins + other stoppage to be added on at the end of the 2nd half only

It aint confusing me. I didnt time the break. I was just very surprised they didnt stop the clock for the water break.

I dont think they added on as much as the break actuslly took.

The break was 3 minutes in each half. First half stoppage time was 4 mins (3+1), second half was 6 mins (3+3). I don't see the problem. They may not have added as much as you expected, but that has nothing to do with the water break.

That is going to screw the odds on betting on a goal scored in the 45th or 90th minutes. I assume the bookies have got it covered?

The bookies generally break it down to 10 minute sections and specify to half time/full time so if a goal is scored in the 48th minute and it's still the 1st half then it's covered. Officially it would be recorded as being scored in the 45th minute.

Exactly. The "45th minute" can last several minutes in practise.

Presumably because there is no official way to "stop the clock" in football. The referee doesn't control the clock in the stadium or on TV. In other sports the time shown in the stadium is the official match time.

I don't see why they don't stop the clock in football. It was introduced a few years back in rugby and works well.

Matches would last around four hours if they stopped the clock all the time. Stoppage time is vague enough to keep it sensible generally.

Well yes football does seem to be full of cheating, diving players, so the game could go on for hours if the clock was stopped everytime. Or here's an idea clamp down on the cheating, Hulk was a perfect example, shoulder to shoulder with a Chilen player gets a slight slap to the face, but carries on until he realises he can't win the foot race, then drops to the floor, looking like he'd been shot.

I was talking about normal stuff like substitutions, throw ins and goal kicks, but you seem keen to grind that axe.

Players cheat in virtually all professional sports.

I'd love football to adopt the timekeeping system they have in Rugby, which have an official timekeepers in the stands, who controls the stadium & TV clocks, so none of these arguments why more minutes were added on.

Incidentally water breaks could conceivably lead to toilet breaks.

They could stop the clock for things that currently are included in stoppage time e.g. injuries, substitutions etc. They don't add on time for every time the ball goes out of play, so there'd be no need to stop the clock for that.

If they did that, the hornet's nest would be open and it'd be asked why other things see the clock run on when they're all prime chances to waste time. It's really all or nothing for my money.

Why is every good idea suddenly an excuse to think of multiple stupid ones?

"can't we use the magic spray for every throw in?"