General Gamesmanship, game management, and drinks breaks

MarkG

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We all remember the Graham Westley and Stevenage drinks breaks.
Likewise, we seem to be implementing a bit of gamesmanship in away games like Ipswich and Wigan this season, to drag out the second half, with players going down with cramp and needing treatment.
Anyway, the Athletic have spotted that Southampton regularly do this in the 60th-70th minute as either coincidence or plan.

Intererestingly, rather than just a delaying tactic, they say it is for small team talks and to pass on energy gels, and debate whether the boost helps players in the last half hour. Also spotted that the GK going down injured has a different treatment by the referree as can't be ordered off the pitch. Didn't we do that at Ipswich?
 
We all remember the Graham Westley and Stevenage drinks breaks.
Likewise, we seem to be implementing a bit of gamesmanship in away games like Ipswich and Wigan this season, to drag out the second half, with players going down with cramp and needing treatment.
Anyway, the Athletic have spotted that Southampton regularly do this in the 60th-70th minute as either coincidence or plan.

Intererestingly, rather than just a delaying tactic, they say it is for small team talks and to pass on energy gels, and debate whether the boost helps players in the last half hour. Also spotted that the GK going down injured has a different treatment by the referree as can't be ordered off the pitch. Didn't we do that at Ipswich?
Bolton’s keeper did it on Saturday.
 
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It's pretty widespread and you can add Ainsworth and Wycombe to the list of main offenders - the player always goes over somewhere near the dug-outs and hey presto..........
 
Though when we beat Pompey with the ten minutes added time, their goalie got caught out with the yellow card by I think taking a goal kick from other side of the goal to where the ball went out(legal) but then stopping for a drink before taking the kick (time wasting). If he'd gone down with cramp he'd be fine ...
 
Though when we beat Pompey with the ten minutes added time, their goalie got caught out with the yellow card by I think taking a goal kick from other side of the goal to where the ball went out(legal) but then stopping for a drink before taking the kick (time wasting). If he'd gone down with cramp he'd be fine ...
But it was the fact their goalie just leaned into the side taking a drink and the ref was telling him to get moving but he just ignored, thank god the ref did his job.
 
But it was the fact their goalie just leaned into the side taking a drink and the ref was telling him to get moving but he just ignored, thank god the ref did his job.
He might as well have lit up a fag as well for all the urgency he was showing.... possibly the most deserving timewasting caution I've ever seen ( altho I'm sure Danny Cowley will disagree)
 
Do the same as rugby and have a timekeeper separate to the ref.
Stop the clock and it is visible to everyone in the ground so you play a full match.
Do what you like during the break but know you`ll have to play the full 90 as well.
 
Do the same as rugby and have a timekeeper separate to the ref.
Stop the clock and it is visible to everyone in the ground so you play a full match.
Do what you like during the break but know you`ll have to play the full 90 as well.
disrupting the 'flow' of a game by drinks breaks ( invariably pre-planned with feigned injury) still robs paying punters of the entertainment they have paid to watch
 
Football would be much better if they just stopped the clock as soon as the ball went dead/out of play etc. It would literally destroy any and all forms of timewasting, kicking the ball away, slow subs walking away etc. I suppose people still could use those tactics to break up a team’s flow, but at least you’d get the full 90 mins per game.
 
Football would be much better if they just stopped the clock as soon as the ball went dead/out of play etc. It would literally destroy any and all forms of timewasting, kicking the ball away, slow subs walking away etc. I suppose people still could use those tactics to break up a team’s flow, but at least you’d get the full 90 mins per game.
It would be an interesting stat to see how many minutes the ball is actually in play for certain teams matches. Average it out over the season and would give a time wasters league.
 
Did anyone notice in the Bolton game one of their players went down, and we considered putting the ball out, but I think fan pressure not to led to us playing on. The player seemed to be calling for medical attention and their players were implying we should put the ball out, when they won back possession he was straight back on his feet and looking lively.

Should that not be a booking for their player faking injury?
 
Football would be much better if they just stopped the clock as soon as the ball went dead/out of play etc. It would literally destroy any and all forms of timewasting, kicking the ball away, slow subs walking away etc. I suppose people still could use those tactics to break up a team’s flow, but at least you’d get the full 90 mins per game.
I agree,

In most major European leagues there is only between 50-60 minutes of ball in play.
 
disrupting the 'flow' of a game by drinks breaks ( invariably pre-planned with feigned injury) still robs paying punters of the entertainment they have paid to watch

Not in rugby because the clock stops then restarts when play starts so punters get their full 80 minutes.... and a bit more as the play can stay live while the clock is in the red which can make for some really grandstand finishes......... or the ball going to Row Z when the winning team gets it.
Mind you they treat injured players on the pitch, and the game is marginally slower paced. :)
 
Possibly apocryphal, but as the story goes they tried this when introducing "sawker" to the US with the NASL. First game was net 3 hours long and everyone went home apparently.
 
and the game is marginally slower paced.
You misspelt 'massively'. You could never treat an injury on the pitch in football for instance, the ball moves much more quickly up and down the pitch.

Independent timekeepers in theory I'd be supportive of, but we want the same rules played from the park pitches up to elite level football (in Blackpool). How do they do it in grass-roots Rugby? An extra official, or does the referee handle it at that level?
 
Independent timekeepers in theory I'd be supportive of, but we want the same rules played from the park pitches up to elite level football (in Blackpool). How do they do it in grass-roots Rugby? An extra official, or does the referee handle it at that level?
VAR??
 
I wish we would do it a bit more sometimes. Especially after just scoring.

Short memories on here. Ipswich anyone and their fans OTT response to our gamesmanship at the end?

(I’m not denying we resorted to it as we certainly did. We did it from the 85th minute onwards and they seemed to claim we had been at it all game.)

It’s part of football. You love seeing your own team do it. You hate seeing it done against you.
 
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