In soccer, any delay or stoppage during the game is simply noted by the referee who will then use their discretion to add on an equivalent amount of time at the end of the half similar to the total amount of time the game was stopped for.įor instance, if a referee thought that the stoppages that occurred during one half of soccer totaled around 3 minutes, then the referee would simply add an extra 3 minutes onto the game at the end of the half. Using a clock that keeps running is far simpler. To expect a referee to mentally keep track of all these breaks is a lot to ask. The referee would not only have to note the exact time the game stopped and then restarted but would have to take that length of time and add it to the end of the original time the game was due to end.ĭoing that once may be ok, but every game has multiple delays. This is much more complicated to manage on a simple analog watch. Most, if not all, sports that use a countdown timer stop the timer every time there is a break in play, and when the play restarts the timer restarts. Using a clock that continuously counts up means that from the moment you start the game, you know exactly what time the game will finish, and all you have to do is keep an eye on your watch, ready to signal when the game is over.Īlthough, you may say, it’s still possible to use a simple watch as a countdown timer, and that is true, where things become complicated is managing any breaks or delays in a game.

Imagine for a moment that you are responsible for keeping the time for a soccer game and all you have available to you is a simple analog wristwatch. The use of a continuous, or running, clock that counts up means that a single referee can keep the time on the simplest of timepieces rather than relying on a countdown timer as many other sports do. There are so few barriers to entry and enjoyment of playing the game. The use of a clock that counts up rather than down is one area that allows soccer to maintain it’s simplicity and allows soccer to be played anywhere from 100,000 seat stadiums to a dusty field in a developing nation. Soccer is often shown to be the most popular sport in the world and one of the reasons for its popularity is its simplicity. But using a clock that counts up and doesn’t stop not only makes sense for soccer but can add its own excitement! A Clock that Counts up Enables Soccer to Be Played Anywhere The use of a running clock in soccer can be confusing to anyone who is used to the excitement of the final moments of an N.F.L or N.B.A. This simplicity enables soccer to be played with a single referee in possession of a simple timepiece anywhere in the world. The clock in soccer counts up rather than down to allow the timekeeping during a soccer game to be as simple as possible. The reason for this is actually reasonably straightforward forward and I want to explain the reason to you here in this article. In soccer, the time on the clock counts up rather than counting down. You have probably noticed that the clock in soccer works differently from the way the clock works in other sports.

When does the clock stop in football