Premier League to reject FIFA World Cup rule and stick with own guidance to refs

The Premier League is not expected to follow FIFA's stoppage time directive which saw a number of World Cup games enter the 100th minute and beyond.

Referees were under instruction to stop the clock for celebrations, time wasting and other delays in Qatar, leading to some long periods of stoppage time. England's opener against Iran included more than 20 minutes of added time, in part due to an injury to Alireza Beiranvand, while the second half of the final had eight minutes added on before Argentina eventually won on penalties.

The first four games at the tournament had a combined 64 added minutes, with FIFA referees committee chief Pierlugi Collina explaining the move. It was met with a mixed response from fans, but there appears to be no plan to introduce similar measures in England.

"We want to avoid matches at 42, 43, 44 minutes from effective time," Collina, said, per France Info. "So the times of substitutions, penalties, celebrations, medical treatment or of course VAR, will have to be compensated."

According to i, though, the Premier League will resist the urge to do the same. Instead, it will stick with current advice to referees and keep its own rules in place.

The World Cup had its fair share of drama during long stoppage-time periods. Wout Weghorst scored in the eleventh added minute as the Netherlands forced extra-time against Argentina in the quarter-finals, while three of Iran's four goals - including both in their win against Wales - came in the 98th minute or later.

Should the Premier League follow FIFA's lead? Have your say in the comments section

"In Russia, we tried to be more accurate in compensating for time lost during games and that's why you saw six, seven or even eight minutes added on," Collina told ESPN before the 2022 tournament. "Think about it: if you have three goals in a half, you'll probably lose four or five minutes in total to celebrations and the restart."

While the stoppage time change is unlikely to come into force, another talking point raised by the England v Iran game could prompt a new measure. Beiranvand was withdrawn with an apparent concussion, and i also reports proposed plans to trial temporary concussion substitutes.

At present, a player suffering a concussion can be withdrawn without their team losing an available substitution, as seen with France's Adrien Rabiot in the final. The new proposals, however, could allow players to be assessed by medical staff before a decision is made on whether they can return to the field.

The Premier League has reportedly been joined by MLS and Ligue 1 in making the request to the International Football Association Board. If approved, temporary subs could come into force in time for the 2023-24 season.