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.
There will be major between in Australia and New Zealand compared to Qatar, though. Referees will announce the final decision after an on-field review and they have been told to clamp down on goalkeepers who try to distract the penalty taker in a shoot-out.
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Referees will be expected to explain to fans watching in stadiums and on TV the final decision they have reached and why, after an on-field review. It comes after a successful trial which started at the men’s Club World Cup in Morocco earlier this year.
VAR decisions such as offsides, which do not require an on-field review, will not be communicated verbally by the referee, but big screens in stadiums will show illustrations of tight calls, with semi-automated offside technology in use. FIFA are also planning to prevent goalkeepers from attempting to distract penalty takers in a shoot-out, following the antics of Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the men’s World Cup final against France.
Referees will initially give a warning, followed by a yellow card, and then a red card if the first warning is not heeded. It remains incredible unlikely that a goalkeeper would get sent off during the shoot-out, as any yellow card issued during the regular match or extra-time is wiped before the shoot-out.
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