Bundesliga set for longer games as Germany embraces more added time in soccer | iNFOnews.ca
FILE - The logo of German Football League Bundesliga is seen through a camera prior to a press conference in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 9, 2007. The German soccer league (DFL) is appointing two more men to take over as chief executive officers from two men who took over from a woman last year. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

Bundesliga set for longer games as Germany embraces more added time in soccer

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Bundesliga games will take longer this season as Germany joins a drive to calculate added time more precisely.

Germany’s top men’s league is the latest to follow a trend set by the 2022 World Cup and the English Premier League by measuring the exact time taken up by events like red cards, penalties and injuries, and adding that amount on at the end of each half.

“We currently have just under 60 minutes of net playing time (with the ball in play), which will probably increase somewhat,” said Knut Kircher, the German refereeing body’s managing director of sports and communication, in comments reported Tuesday by German agency dpa.

The new Bundesliga season starts Aug. 22 but the changes have already taken effect in the men’s second and third tiers. There’s been a backlash against some decisions.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles