The halftime interval in Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina is set to last more than 15 minutes because of the installation required for the tournament’s 11-minute halftime show, broadcasting sources told Reuters on Friday.
The installation is expected to take about seven minutes before the performance begins, the sources said, extending the break beyond soccer’s traditional 15-minute half-time interval.
FIFA’s World Cup regulations state that matches are played in accordance with the Laws of the Game set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which say players are entitled to a half-time interval “not exceeding 15 minutes”.
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The tournament regulations themselves, however, say players are entitled to a “15-minute interval” at hal-ftime, without repeating the IFAB wording that the break cannot exceed that duration.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on how long the half-time interval would last or how the planned show would comply with the regulations.
The performance will be the first half-time show staged at a World Cup final, adding another element associated with major American sporting events to a tournament already featuring mandatory hydration breaks and, for the first time, championship rings for the winners.
Source: Khaleej Times