Paul Heckingbottom’s verdict on big Premier League change that will affect Sheffield United

Paul Heckingbottom has welcomed a crackdown on timewasting in the game next season in the Premier League - as long as Sheffield United do not suffer unfairly compared to other clubs from new guidance issued to referees. Top-flight games are routinely expected to last longer than 100 minutes as English domestic games follow the example set in last winter’s World Cup in Qatar.

Officials will be ordered to add on the exact amount of time wasted by substitutions, injuries, decisions and goal celebrations at the end of each half. Before a blanket system of adding on 30 seconds per goal or substitution was supposedly used but the English game is set to follow the example of the men’s and women’s World Cups in clamping down on wasted time.

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It could have come at a bad time for the Blades, who may have benefitted from running down the clock a little next season as they prepare for the step up in quality in the Premier League. But Heckingbottom has been a vocal opponent of timewasting in the past and has no issue with the new guidance - as long as it is applied uniformly amongst the league’s 20 members.

Research by The Times has found that the average Premier League match was 98 minutes and 27 seconds long last season, including stoppage time, compared to 101 minutes and 22 seconds at the World Cup in Qatar last winter. Speaking on BBC Radio Sheffield earlier this week Heckingbottom was asked if the proposed change was welcome.

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“It would have been last year; this year we were thinking about doing it!” the Blades boss joked. “No, it’s fine. It’s just got to be fair. Like any other rule, if it’s delivered in a fair way then I have no issues at all. But I’m just prepared for the first time we get overlooked on something and then I see on Monday Night Football that someone else is getting it. That’s the frustration, I think, with anyone.

“The clarity is going to be there. So instead of 30 seconds a goal when someone’s celebrated for a minute and a half, or 30 second subs when they milk it the whole way off, or an injury when they’re guessing, they’re actually going to write down the times. So everything should be added on and it should be more accurate.

“We were collecting data when teams were doing it at Bramall Lane, it was a joke. From that aspect it should be fair and more of a level playing field. Thankfully it didn’t affect us too much last season, we got our promotion. We’ll see how it goes. It has to come into play. If we’re one down against Arsenal at Bramall Lane and they start slowing the game down, and kicking the ball away, then there should be bookings. As long as it’s delivered correctly, and every team is treated the same, then it’s fine.”

The Premier League, as well as the EFL, is keen to increase the amount of time the ball is in play during games, with referees instructed to clamp down even harder on time-wasting players.