Timing Rules

[ilyazhito]

I am looking to get started in officiating soccer, and I have wondered why there is a difference in timing rules between NFHS, NCAA, and FIFA. Is it because NFHS and NCAA were influenced by American sports when developing the timing rules, or is there a different reason why they don't use the FIFA approach of having a continuous clock and adding time if needed to address major stoppages (goals, substitutions, injuries, cautions, wasting time)?

I read recently that the NCAA soccer rules committee has recently received proposals to change their tining rules to match FIFA, and is also looking at making soccer a fall and spring sport, to match the international and pro soccer season more closely. Perhaps the attitudes of the powers that be in NCAA soccer are changing, and we will see timing match at the NCAA and FIFA levels eventually.

I'm asking, because USSF follows FIFA rules in all sanctioned matches, including, at least with the older age groups, the use of added time, yet many USSF licensed referees also work NFHS and NCAA matches that stop the clock instead.

[LRZ]

ilyazhito, I don't think you'll get an answer here, a pretty dormant forum, where there is no one like the old hands on the basketball forum.

I can tell you that, in my experience, NFHS is glacially slow in changing rules to be more consistent with FIFA.

[OkieZebra]

Your best bet is probably the referee board over at BigSoccer. That's where I get my reffing talk