RateTheRef

We’ve found over the past few days that hydration breaks have been starting to get abit odd.

The whole point of a hydration break should be when it’s hot conditions, sunny, causing more exhaustion. But, it’s happening in games where they have closed roofs and it’s barely even hot..?

Virgil Van Dijk hit out about them, and I can see why. When it’s not hot, it feels really unnecessary.

Something Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ian Wright said is that it’s a stealth advertisement break, which it is. America is all about the money, and this is one way to get even more in.

It was always my understanding, certainly domestically, that hydration breaks were used when the temperature exceeded a certain level but it seems they will be used in every match no matter the temperature.

As much as FIFA have done good with countdowns on throw-ins and goal kicks which has improved the flow of the game, the hydration breaks just completely halt the game for sometimes no apparent reasons. Yesterday, Belgium scored a goal and then immediately had to have a break when they pro Al wanted to keep their momentum up after scoring.

But it’s also just been used as a way to get coaching advice across so it has completely made the idea of a goalkeeper going down injured redundant. I don’t think I’ve seen that happen once this tournament. You can always coaches with their boards and giving advice which I don’t really think should be happening.

Q When is Football a game of four quarters?

A When its played in America

Because they are so long, no doubt driven by the advertising opportunities, I don't think it would be fair to have them in some games but not others.  They are effectively being used as coaching breaks, so I'm not sure they could allow a coach to have an extra 6 minutes coaching opportunity in one game but a coach in another not having the same opportunity. 

The only way that would be possible would be to ban coaching, perhaps all players stay in the centre circle and only allow subs to bring on water bottles.

Quote from: rustyref on Tue 16 Jun 2026 18:00

Because they are so long, no doubt driven by the advertising opportunities, I don't think it would be fair to have them in some games but not others.  They are effectively being used as coaching breaks, so I'm not sure they could allow a coach to have an extra 6 minutes coaching opportunity in one game but a coach in another not having the same opportunity. 

The only way that would be possible would be to ban coaching, perhaps all players stay in the centre circle and only allow subs to bring on water bottles.

Indeed, if the criteria is met then a non-partisan water carrier can bring "hydration" onto the field for the players to have a drink.  Should take less than a minute and then get on with the game.   But that would not sit well with the paymasters....

Also, the timing of these breaks can aid one team or disadvantage another.  It will (of course) be the referee's fault if a goal is conceded directly after a hydration / advert break.

Also, if they are going to insist on these breaks (and they are) can we just stop the clock for the duration.  Its daft that we get to 45 / 90 minutes knowing that - before anything else happens - we have an additional three minutes to add on.

Yep, they'd have to find a way of making sure coaches couldn't get onto the pitch during the stoppage.  I'm pretty sure some managers are unscrupulous enough that they'd put a bib on and pretend they are a water carrier.

Hopefully common sense will resume once it is out of the US, although the next two world cups are both across very hot countries.

And still no movement on stopping for a cuppa when it’s freezing….

hi,

it certainly spoils the rhythm of the games and often shifts the momentum - whether that is because of fresh coaching instruction, or due to the players having a breather, or due the efficacy of the 'hydration' isn't clear - but there is no way that american broadcasters are going to give up the opportunity on slotting in an ad break - 25 minutes uninterrupted broadcasting is unheard of in the states.

regards

gnr