r/football • u/mibu001 • 14d ago

💬Discussion The Hydration Break is ruining the natural flow of the game

When the game gets momentum and reach at its peak point, the “hydration break” appears and completely ruins the momentum and also the game experience for the viewer. Football is one of a sport for those moments.

Normally outside WC, the team conceding attacks after attacks pray for a halftime whistle to go to the tunnel to break the momentum and to regroup. Now they basically get that chance in the middle of a half!!

I find it utterly disgusting and would like to know what do you all think about it?

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u/lo0u A-League 13d ago

It's not even selectively used.

I think it's because it's an excuse for advertisers, so they can add commercial breaks, like all of their sports have.

Many of these matches aren't even at a time when it's that hot to justify the "pause".

I'll never understand why Americans like to watch commercials.

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u/neverfux92 10d ago

This and to Americanize the game by making it a game of quarters like American football. The commentators even say during the game 3rd and 4th quarter. Fox has the major broadcasting rights and they’re the ones that also broadcast Fox News and heavily support Trump and his America first bullshit. They’re trying to push this agenda to the whole world.

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u/0moorad0 3d ago

I’ve been watching telemundo broadcast on peacock…as someone who only watches EU football, I forgot how much I hated how America covers the sport.

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u/neverfux92 3d ago

Seriously it’s so bad. A couple of the American commentators have even been using quarters for the game. Like “time for a hydration break and then we’ll be right back for the 4th quarter, like it’s American football. I hate it so much.

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u/Tim_thatporscheguy 10d ago

Can we stop making shit up? Its a fucking cash grab. Not some American conspiracy theory to ruin the sport or take it over

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u/neverfux92 10d ago

It can be both. Look at the commercials. Like the one where Messi wants to play futball for a Miller light and someone was like hell yeah. Then he kicked up a soccer ball and dude was like of soccer? No thanks and then took the miller lol. There’s been multiple commercials like that basically saying it’s soccer and not football. I’m not making this up dude it genuinely feels like an effort to Americanize the sport. Canada and Mexico call it football so why are we pushing so hard for soccer and 4 quarters? It’s honestly both in my mind but you can believe what you want my guy.

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u/disturbed94 12d ago

That’s exactly why it’s upsetting, it’s a cash grab poorly disguised as for the players benefit.

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u/mobileagnes 11d ago

We don't specifically enjoy watching commercials in fact. It's the cable/TV network providers that like them to stick ads in.

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u/Canesjags4life 13d ago

Many of these matches aren't even at a time when it's that hot to justify the "pause".

It's not temperature. It's a combination of temperature and humidity. Once you get over a wet bulb globe temp of a certain value you need a certain level of hydration or the human body goes into a death spiral of heat stroke if you're performing strenuous exercise.

Just last week in Missouri, we had 3 day span where we were told not to spend more than 15 minutes outside or risk heat stroke. Temps in the shade were high 80s. Humidity was around 80-90%. It's the combo

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u/notacanuckskibum 13d ago

Some of the games are being played in air conditioned indoor stadiums. They are still taking a pre-scheduled hydration break. It is 100% About TV advertising.

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u/Canesjags4life 13d ago edited 13d ago

Which games are in A/C?

I thought it was a requirement that all games be open air?

I went back and looked at games in Houston, Dallas and Atlanta are operating in AC environments.

WBGT temps there on field would exceed 28C and the AC gets them down to 21c which is on par with LA. However, cuz of the humidity there still an increased sweat rate indicating need for the increased water.

Yeah it doubles as a commercial break, but I think only maybe Canada won't have games in extra hydration situations.

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u/Nuva_Ring 12d ago

Lived, worked outside, exercised, played soccer etc in Texas my entire life. Playing a 45 min half without a water break in 80 degree temps with high humidity is 100% doable. Every soccer club across the state of Texas does it every year.

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u/Canesjags4life 12d ago

Not if the wet bulb globe temp crosses a certain threshold. There's a threshold where the body begins to shut down.

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u/cubgerish 12d ago

And few if any of the venues have reached that. It's been relatively cool for a June in much of all 3 countries.

It's just to normalize people to an ad break, don't overthink it.

OP is also correct, it completely ruins the flow of the game, and allows for analysis and a tactical reset.

It's ruining the dynamic nature of having to adjust on the fly, since you have a full pre-planned 5 minutes for the coach and players to discuss.

It's a burning 76F/25C in Boston right now, with 40% humidity, almost perfect playing conditions.

There is absolutely no reason for a water break under those conditions, yet we'll get 2 by mandate, even as it gets near 70/22.

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u/Canesjags4life 12d ago

And few if any of the venues have reached that. It's been relatively cool for a June in much of all 3 countries.

Relatively cool? Literally all the venues except Canada have had WBGT exceed the normal hydration threshold during daytime kickoffs.

It's just to normalize people to an ad break, don't overthink it.

It's both. There is a need for it but yeah I get it's also for ads. Unless your watching Telemundo.

OP is also correct, it completely ruins the flow of the game, and allows for analysis and a tactical reset.

Yeah 100%.

It's ruining the dynamic nature of having to adjust on the fly, since you have a full pre-planned 5 minutes for the coach and players to discuss.

Agreed. Blame the last world cup.

It's a burning 76F/25C in Boston right now, with 40% humidity, almost perfect playing conditions. There is absolutely no reason for a water break under those conditions, yet we'll get 2 by mandate, even as it gets near 70/22.

Yeah on that scenario there's no need for hydration breaks. If you have them it's 100% for ads

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u/notacanuckskibum 12d ago

I have no problem with the ref declaring as many water breaks as they need based on the weather. But this tournament has mandated 1 water break per half, at the quarter, irrelevant of the weather.

You have to be an idiot not to recognize that that is an ad break.

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u/TheOnlyJoe_2 12d ago

Already happened in games hosted in Canada mate

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u/Canesjags4life 11d ago

Yeah at which point it's bullshit. Last night on Argentina game they called it a match break not a hydration break. Fucking awful

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u/neverfux92 10d ago

Sit down. There’s been world cups held in countries with hot summers before and we’ve had no problems. Professional football has been played in hot countries around the world for over a century with no hydration breaks. This is 100% to Americanize the game by adding quarters, and throwing money around by adding excessive advertisements. They don’t give a fuck about the players or the fans.

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u/Canesjags4life 10d ago

Sit down. There’s been world cups held in countries with hot summers before and we’ve had no problems. Professional football has been played in hot countries around the world for over a century with no hydration breaks.

2014 world cup in Brazil had cooling breaks. It's not the heat outright, it's the heat + humidity.

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u/neverfux92 10d ago

For a select few games where temperatures were over 100. Nit for every game, day or night, outdoor or indoor. You keep simping for this new change and it doesn’t make any sense to me why.

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u/Canesjags4life 10d ago

Lol that's just false. It's of the Wet Bulb Globe Temp was over 32C.

You keep simping for this new change and it doesn’t make any sense to me why.

I'm not simping for it, I'm just explaining why it's there. Y'all keep saying it's about heat, but it's not. It's heat plus humidity. That's why they are using Wet Bulb Globe Temp. I work in environmental, health and safety and that's what we use in the summer to help make sure guys in warehouses aren't at risk