The Saudi Arabian Football Association Referee Committee has approved the use of actual game minutes, similar to what was done at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Committee underlined that the use of actual minutes of play in World Cup matches has had positive results in terms of increasing the number of actual minutes of play, noting that it aims to calculate extra time at the end of each half. And this is thanks to the task of the fourth referee, who will announce the time, not the lost time.
The Referee Committee confirmed that it aims to increase the effective playing time to 60 minutes instead of the previous 50 minutes by taking into account actual game minutes, as well as to help prepare the national team players for the upcoming advantages, in addition to preparing Saudi referees for participation in the matches of the International and Asian Federations.
The committee instructed the referees to effectively manage the calculation of injury time in 6 specific cases, from whistle to whistle; These are: goal and celebration, penalties, injuries, waste of time, interceptions between players and video reviews of the referees.
