Several of you have posted defenses of soccer’s lackadaisical timekeeping procedures. Thanks for your efforts, but I haven’t heard a convincing argument yet. What do you have against accurate and accountable timekeeping? Keep in mind, I haven’t employed the typical FR arguments that soccer is “not American” or “for weenies” or “for liberals” and so forth. I just think that the main ref has way too much power, and his control of the clock is part of that, and can easily be fixed.
It’s not that we necessarily approve of the system. But we understand that any alternative is worse.
I’m with u Steve on this one - it has always been a source of annoyance for me. They could have sideline timekeepers and every time the ref blows time out the clock could be stopped and also when a goal is scored - then they could replace the refs whistle to signal full time with a siren like in Australian football!
I believe the 4th referee controls the extra time allotment. The head ref then keeps count from there.