How the Fourth Official Arrives at the Number on the Board
How stoppage time is calculated in football: what Law 7 counts, what is estimated, why the board shows a minimum and what pushed the totals up.
Author: Curtis Hanlon
Curtis Hanlon writes about rulebooks and the people who apply them under time pressure. Clocks, reviews, protocols and late-game arithmetic are his regular territory. He is drawn to the situations fans argue about longest and understand least.
Three Moments When Calling a Timeout Hurts You
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Six Ways to Break a Tie, Ranked by Injury Load
Six overtime formats measured on length, physical cost and how faithfully each one settles the match that produced the tie, with a side by side table.
What Can a Goalkeeper Legally Do During a Shootout?
The penalty shootout rules on what a keeper may do, when a kick is retaken, who kicks first and which shootout claims the evidence does not support.
Price Every Two-Minute Drill Decision in Seconds and Points
Every two minute drill decision has a price in seconds and expected points. What a spike, a timeout and a sideline route really cost a late drive.