Good 'ole added time, a topic without any controversy. Assuming you do add time to your game, how do you track it? I was watching a pro game last night on TV, and during a few of the subs, the player leaving took his sweet time. If the referee didn't track that time with his watch from the beginning, how would he know how much to add? My watch has a cool function to hit pause for injuries, etc., except I never use it, because by the time I have a feeling that the moment has been so long it was worthy of adding time for it, it's too late to start my pause thing. Is it just a mental note near the end of the game that "hmmm, about a minute for that thing, and a minute for this thing, and another for that other thing, so, yeah, 3 minutes it is."?
For me, I hit that button on my watch only if I have a coach come out and i think it could be a while (OK, truth is I only think to hit it once it becomes obvious it will take a bit--but then I will hit it and make a mental note to add 15 or 30 or whatever my estimate is beyond the timed part of the added time.) To the extent it isn't on my watch, I'm making mental notes throughout the game when things, IMO, warrant adding time. I don't pretend it is precise--but since most AYSO refs are very stingy with added time, I do add more than most of my colleagues. (I do not add for goals (unless an unusual delay occurs) or substitutions, which is consistent with AYSO expectations.)
My watches track for added time, it has become second nature for me to stop the clock for subs, serious injuries and cards. If there is a delay in the game that requires more added time I just mentally add a few seconds here and there. Additionally in my pregame I typically tell my crew: "When I ask you what's the number, I want you to tell my what you think added time should be".
But isn't added time meant for "excessive" delay due to subs and injuries? If you're always stopping it, that isn't always for excessive. Many subs are quick, especially when the losing team is doing it
I wear two watches. One that vibrates at zero, one that beeps. I stop the one that beeps when necessary. If a team is ahead and blatantly kicks the ball OOB a mile, slow substitutions, cautions, injuries where the coach comes on the field, etc. All my whistles are small sided games, some with no standings (academy), so often I will ask coaches how they want to handle stoppage time. More often than not if the game is a blowout, they say no stoppage time. If the game counts toward standings, I give the stoppage time regardless.
Well, the literal language of Law 6 is: Allowance is made by the referee in each half for all time lost in that half through: • substitutions • assessment and/or removal of injured players . . . • any other cause, including any significant delay to a restart (e.g. goal celebrations) Whether that is close to real world application is another question . . .
I pause for excessively slow subs, serious injuries, and cards. I use Soccer Referee Pro on a smartwatch so all it takes is a touch of the watch face to pause and another touch to resume; as you can see from the picture, the big green numbers count up (for record), the smaller red numbers count down(to answer player questions), and the '+0:00' accumulates the total time that the watch has been paused throughout the half(added time). It also vibrates every few seconds while paused so you can't forget to resume it.
I use the Referee Watch (Activity track, multi half) for my Garmin, it is very similar. Socal Lurker is right, the literal language could be ALL subs and injuries, and then any other cause due to "significant delay".
This is straight from IFAB: "3. ALLOWANCE FOR TIME LOST Allowance is made by the referee in each half for all time lost in that half through: substitutions assessment and/or removal of injured players wasting time disciplinary sanctions stoppages for drinks or other medical reasons permitted by competition rules any other cause, including any significant delay to a restart (e.g. goal celebrations) The fourth official indicates the minimum additional time decided by the referee at the end of the final minute of each half. The additional time may be increased by the referee but not reduced. The referee must not compensate for a timekeeping error during the first half by changing the length of the second half." Old language did indicate excessive time the new language does not.
I'm in the habit of just making mental notes and keeping a running total of how much to add. I only add time for subs if they are taking excessively long or the act of substituting is obviously being used as a delay tactic. This seems to be the expectation for the youth leagues I ref in. High School matches are nice in this respect. The "rules" about when the clock should be stopped and re-started are clear, and when time'up, it's up. Also many tournaments have a no added time for any reason rule - this also makes things easy but opens the door for some unsporting tactics. I picked up a last minute low level U12 match a couple weeks ago where I called a PK and it took me at least a minute to find the unmarked spot to place the ball and usher all the players out of the PA, the arc, and get them all even with or behind the ball. It was like neither team had seen a PK before. I added a minute to the half, which confused the home coach. Guess they weren't used to that either. When I had a working spintso watch I took advantage of it's start/stop feature because it would vibrate every 10 seconds to remind me the clock was stopped. For those with the garmin app I understand it also does this? Is that correct?
Yes. It also vibrates every 30 seconds if you pass full time. Which is also nice. (I was planning to get a spintso when my old seiko ref watch gave out, but the garmin is lighter, was less expensive, and serves as general athletic watch (running, steps, etc.) as well.
I got a Garmin Vivoactive Black (Certified Refurbished) for $95 on Amazon. Seems to have gone up in price. Yes, it has the other functions which I like too, but the ref app i got for a few bucks is so worth every penny and more.
Most of the Garmin's should work with the app. I have the vivoactive, which has a decent size face and works well with the app. (I got the watch as a ref watch, but it became my day to day watch . . . yes, I'm old enough that I wear a watch . . .) The app is called Ref Watch by Winder. When I got it I think I paid the equivalent of $5 for the app--I think it was priced in Euros. (There is a free version, but you have to buy the app to get access to most of the features.) The only issue I have had is on a day it was pouring rain I had trouble making the touch screen work, which you need to start the app. (Once the app is started, you only need the touch screen if you want to change settings (like number of minutes per half.).)
On top of the Garmin watches you may want to check out smartwatches as well (I use a Ticwatch E). In addition to what they have said the Garmin watch does as a timekeeper, a smartwatch with the app I mentioned earlier allows you to keep a full game log right on your wrist (goals, cautions, and ejections with numbers and automatic time coding). I defer to the traditional write-on-cards as a center, but when I work as an AR I use the smartwatch to back up the center's game log just in case; it takes about the same time if not less than traditional pen and paper once you've used it a few times and there is nothing to fumble so you can keep your eyes on the game while the center records his notes.
I use the Referee Timer app on my Garmin Fenix 5. It keeps track of added time for me. Since the watch buzzes every 10 seconds when I have stopped the watch, I know when I’m adding time and won’t forget to restart. I also normally use a Spintso as my backup, so I usually have two watches showIng added time.
I don't work our youth league that often any more and in that league stippage time is a myth. In any other league that I work, youth travel leagues or PDL or above we have been given a strict directives to add proper stoppage. That means every sub, every injury that needs a trainer, excessive goal celebrations, etc. In one of my USL games (I was 4O) in the summer, because of water breaks and some injuries, we added 5 minutes in the first half and 7 in the second half. The away coach (loosing) still wanted more and I showed him on my watch exactly how much time was calculated with an explanation of how we got there.
How long does you battery last with GPS on. My Moto360 sport when I first got it I could do 2 plus games, now it can barely make it through 1 game.
Yes I like it very well, both in count-up mode for USSF matches and countdown for NFHS. One thing I bumped into with it for the first time the other day, apropos of the added time aspect we're discussing – I had hit pause in the first half for something and restarted (yes I love that it reminds me by vibrating!), blew for the half in due course and went to stop it for the half. Well, it wanted the half to continue because I hadn't added as much time as it wanted me to. That was a little frustrating, but I think I understand why it has to be that way. Actually on second thought I don't. Given that the count-up continues even while you're "paused," it seems more intuitive that when you hit stop after the set half period has run it should know to end the half, rather than pause again. Does that make sense?
Do you think Player X ever says to himself that the game is paused, the referee is talking to and/or carding Player Y, and Player X thinks he can take a cheap shot that the referee won't see? Beyond what the teams knew or didn't know about PKs, do you know how often that field was used for soccer? If a referee is working at a field he hasn't been to before, I could see asking in advance if the field is marked properly and if there are distracting marks from another sport.