Super Bowl vibes: final half-time could stretch to 30 minutes

The World Cup final has become the stage for a debate beyond the action on the pitch. According to the report, FIFA is considering nearly doubling the standard 15-minute half-time break to 20-30 minutes; the aim of the move is to make room for performer shows. Featuring names including Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, Coldplay and K-pop group BTS, the show is being regarded as football's biggest step yet toward becoming a Super Bowl-style spectacle.

From a rules standpoint, this is no ordinary decision. The 15-minute cap set by IFAB (the International Football Association Board) can only be altered with the referee's permission under the regulations. Broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV are reported to be preparing for a total 30-minute break by combining the 11-minute "half-time show" with their own 15-minute mid-game analysis segments; should that scenario play out, the final could become one of the longest editions in football history.

This is not FIFA's first trial run either. The governing body is reported to have tested a similar approach at last year's Club World Cup, with a break stretching to 25 minutes. Criticism has not been slow to follow: speculation has long persisted that the three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half also serve advertising purposes.

Accusations of inconsistency are mounting too. Colombia head coach Néstor Lorenzo previously being sanctioned at the same tournament for returning from half-time just one minute late is cited as an example of contradictions in how FIFA applies its own rules; in a system where players and coaches are held accountable down to the second, the prospect of extending the half-time break by whole minutes is only fuelling the debate further.

Source: L'Équipe
Image: Yahoo Sports