The “hydration breaks” that have been added to World Cup matches have not been met with universal acclaim from players and fans, not least because some TV networks are using them to squeeze in extra ads. It’s hot in much of North America in June, and in some places very hot.
So it would seem natural that players at the World Cup, currently underway in the United States, Mexico and Canada, get quick breaks to grab a drink in the middle of each half. But the pauses have not been broadly popular.
Beside annoyance over the extra ads, fans are upset that the flow of the game is interrupted, and some believe that the team they are rooting for can somehow lose “momentum” as a result of the break. Soccer is traditionally a free-flowing game.
Each half is scheduled for 45 minutes, and there are only quick stops, after a goal or when the ball goes out of bounds, for example. But concern over the players’ health has led in recent years to stoppages for them to get water.
Notably, at last summer’s Club World Cup in the United States, referees at their discretion would allow for water breaks. In December, FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, decided to make the breaks more regular and consistent. We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber. Log in.
Want all of The Times. Subscribe.