Liverpool’s dramatic late victory over Newcastle United on Monday night has waste time in the Premier League and rekindled debate over effective game times.
Former Sky Sports anchor Richard Keys was one of the most vocal, and adopted a fundamental rule change for the league, urging fans to get full value from the spectacle.
The conflict itself was a modern classic. Ryan Gravenberch opened up a goal for Liverpool in the 35th minute, with Newcastle falling to 10 when Anthony Gordon saw the red following a review of the VAR.
Shortly after halftime, Hugo Echicicke expanded the benefits of visitors. It was all that Bruno Guimares raised hopes of a comeback with the often-exposed strike. William Osla then grabbed an 88-minute equalizer to send St. James Park to joyously, but the drama wasn’t over.
Liverpool beat Newcastle United late in the extra time
At rest time, 16-year-old Rionugmoha attacked the memorable winner, crushing Arne Slot’s side and Newcastle Hearts all three points.
But while football itself did not offer a shortage of drama, Richard Keys aimed at another element of the game. How few balls are actually?
On his X (formerly Twitter) account, Keys revealed that the ball is active for just 40.8% of the match.
“The fans are being taken away.” Key declared before calling on the Premier League to implement a 60-minute stop-clock system based solely on effective playtime.
Richard Keys raises important issues
The idea for a stop clock has been raised previously. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) raised a similar proposal in 2017, suggesting two 30-minute halves where the clock stops each time the ball plays.
Supporters argue that this will eliminate time waste, ensure fairness, give supporters a lot of value, and will continue to raise ticket prices, particularly those.
However, critics argue that introducing a stop clock could fundamentally change the rhythm and flow of football, and that games could feel overregulated.
Still, the possibility of fuel burning is unlikely to occur due to Keys’ comments. As the Premier League is already wasting time and experimenting with stricter guidelines to extend the downtime, the idea of an effective 60-minute playclock may still gain traction in the coming years.
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