Time lapse (sport)

Varieties of time

A time lag in football can occur during a substitution: a player leaving the field and a substitute usually go slowly, trying to bring down an attacking impulse of the opponent. Also, a time lag can occur during assisting the player (most often forced and justified) or during the ball being taken out (often this behavior is interpreted as unsportsmanlike and punished with a yellow card). Players can drag out time before executing free, penal, corner kicks and penalty kicks.

A team may be punished for delaying the time, which is caused by conversations with boys who serve the balls before the execution of the corner or throw-in of the ball from the side. So, once UEFA fined the Scottish Football Association for such actions during a match against France (the Scots won 1-0) ^[1] .

Another way to “kill” time in football is to roll the ball: until 1992, defenders often gave the ball to the goalkeeper, who took it in his hands and threw it forward. After the introduction of a rule prohibiting such a game by goalkeepers, such a time delay has ceased to be used. Sometimes even a simulation in sports can be regarded as a time delay when a player, taking advantage of the opportunity, lies on the lawn and “pulls time”, but the judges try to prevent such cases with harsh penalties ^[2] .

Justified Use of Delay

One way to “pull the time” without violating the rules is to bring the ball closer to the corner of the field and send it directly to the opponent’s defender: if he tries to push the opponent away, he will be punished with a free kick; if the ball flies out of bounds due to an opponent tackle, then this will end in an out or even a corner. Cyclic actions and lead to such a drag on time.

Scandalous puffs

Coaches often criticize teams that thus try to maintain an account that is convenient for themselves if attacking tactics seem dangerous to them. One of the first with such criticism was Rafael Benitez : in November 2006, after a goalless draw by Liverpool and Portsmouth , Benitez criticized the pomp ^[3] .

The punishment for delaying the time sometimes seems unjustified and unfair, especially if the judge does not know all the details. So, because of this, Swiss-born Brazilian Paulo Diogo suffered : on December 5, 2004, Diogo, celebrating a goal scored for Servette, caught an engagement ring on a metal net in the stadium. When trying to get out, Dyogo was seriously injured and lost a finger: while the stadium employees were looking for a torn finger, the judge showed the Swiss player a yellow card, not knowing what had happened. Unfortunately, Diego had to amputate the remainder of the finger.

Punishment for delaying the time may be at the very beginning of the game. One of the record fastest punishments was the punishment to the Norwegian goalkeeper Per Haftorsen during the match between Norway and the Netherlands : for delaying the time already in the 5th minute he was punished with a yellow card ^[4] . However, already in December 1979, Roy Macfarland broke the Haftorsen record in the championship of England: in December 1979, in a match between Liverpool and Derby County , Roy was punished with a yellow card 2 minutes after the starting whistle before putting the ball into the game . It is noteworthy that in the same match the score was opened from the penalty spot already at the 20th second by the Derby County team ^[4] .

• Time lag in rugby takes place during fights and penalties.
• In Australian football, players take a puff of time by adjusting their shape. They also drag out time during the execution of free kicks: only 30 seconds are given for preparation and execution.
• In American football, time lag occurs during "runs" or taking timeouts.
• In ice hockey, the team usually passes a pass between the striker and the defender at the end of the match: the defender after receiving the puck returns to his area and then gives the puck forward again. When playing in unequal squads, the team remaining in the minority takes advantage of this.