Howard Webb expects there to be 11 and a half minutes of stoppage time in the Premier League next season.
The PGMOL chief clarified the new policy on added time when speaking to the BBC’s Mark Chapman on Thursday.
Sunday’s Community Shield was our first look at the new remit, and there were 13 minutes of added time.
Howard Webb says time wasting was the most common topic when they requested feedback from Premier League clubs.
Read: Is The New Time Wasting Policy Good For The Game?
Since taking over as head of the PGMOL, Howard Webb has attempted to make officiating more transparent. He revealed that under the new policy, there would have been 8 and a half minutes of stoppage time on average in the Premier League last season.
He anticipates that figure rising to 11 and a half minutes this season. However he stressed ‘it’s not our intention to have 14 or 15 minutes every game.’
In the spirit of transparency, Webb even mooted the idea of micing up VAR officials. Although that won’t be possible in-game’, we may get to hear audio after the game.
‘Fifa have to permit that in the VAR protocol, at the moment it’s not allowed.
There’s a vacuum of understanding of what we do as match officials. There’s a lack of understanding about how difficult the job can be.’
Read: Arsenal Handed Boost With Community Shield Win
‘We need to enhance our communication to our fans in the stadium where possible and the TV audience at home. We will take advantage of anything that allows us to do that.’
What Webb is trying to do is admirable, but the PGMOL has absolutely no credit with anybody. Too many teams have been the victim of awful refereeing decisions. With greater transparency not possible at the moment, Webb and the PGMOL have an uphill battle on their hands.
