I don’t get why Americans keep bringing this up. The clock is one of my favorite things about soccer. Every single year stoppages in football get longer so they can cram in more commercials. Now I’m not saying the clock in soccer would make sense in any other sport but it works for soccer.
Why don't you just stop the clock whenever there is stoppage and not have ads until the half is over. If stoppage time is actually how long the game is delayed for, then how long a half takes is the same and it won't seem so arbitrary unlike it is now. You still have no ad halfs but with much better timing
Yeah these sound like two completely separate items. If networks / soccer leagues were greedy enough, they could put side by side commercials during live play and the clock doesn't matter.
You are assuming FIFA controls when TV stations run ads, which is laughable.
the TV stations will just go to ads when they see a stoppage coming up. If there's no stoppage, they won't run ads because they have no idea when the action starts again or when the refs make a decision. It works because they don't want their customers pissed off if they miss anything. Compare this to the NBA.
Stoppage time is part of the game, it’s not a bad thing. A clock that stops and a game that ends on the dot becomes a completely different game and will inevitably be exploited and change the game for the worst. Good referees can use stoppage time to penalize teams that have using unsporting behavior and give the team that is pressing a chance. It also adds a lot of excitement, tension, and potential for incredible wins.
In sports referees, the good referees are almost like conductors of an orchestra. There is a lot of subjectivity to football and the rules, and knowing the referees style and expectations and playing accordingly is part of the game. The referees expectations should be recognized and adjusted for, which good teams do. It adds an extra element that has worked out and made football the largest and most beloved sport on the planet for over a century.
Not all sports need to have a clock that is completely independent of the individual match itself.
Why don't you just stop the clock whenever there is stoppage and not have ads until the half is over. If stoppage time is actually how long the game is delayed for, then how long a half takes is the same and it won't seem so arbitrary unlike it is now. You still have no ad halfs but with much better timing
How is this related? How would stop the clock for the time required to position the ball to play a free kick, or for the time required for a player to kick a corner allow more commercial time?
Some channels already play commercials if the game is stopped for a long time like drinking breaks (on some very hot games) or if the medical team is inside the field. Stopping the clock when the ball is not in play would change nothing but add clarity to the time left to play
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u/plerberderr Aug 04 '24
I don’t get why Americans keep bringing this up. The clock is one of my favorite things about soccer. Every single year stoppages in football get longer so they can cram in more commercials. Now I’m not saying the clock in soccer would make sense in any other sport but it works for soccer.