ZIMBABWE Referees Committee (ZRC) vice-chairperson Ruzive Ruzive has called for combined effort to solve the time-wasting problem that is currently bedevilling Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches.
The decorated former Fédération Internationale de Football Association (Fifa) referee defended the referees after Highlanders coach Jose Baltemar Britto took aim at match officials who he said were not brave enough to add time wasted during matches.
He said only about 65 to 70 minutes were played in their 1-0 win over Hwange on Sunday after the coal miners resorted to time wasting.
Dynamos coach Herbert Maruwa has also moaned about time wasting.
Maruwa was left frustrated after his team was held to a goalless draw by Cranborne Bullets, who also applied time-wasting antics, last month.
Ruzive said referees can add time that has been wasted, but other stakeholders in local football also have a role to play in putting an end to time wasting.
“When it comes to time, it's a question of the referee's discretion. Referee adds time according to the time that has been wasted. So if any referee doesn't add enough time, then the referee would be at fault” Ruzive said.
“But you also want to look at the other dimension, whereby you are saying is it the referee responsible for these time wasting tactics? Why should we be the ones to be blamed for not adding enough time when people are wasting time and there is no repercussion for that? People are wasting time in broad daylight to a point of removing ball-boys who are supposed to be helping everyone. Why should the referees be the ones to face the brunt of the coaches when the other stakeholders are not playing ball? I mean what's happening to those teams removing balls from the ground? There's no action. So my worry is why is it us who have to be blamed?”
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Ruzive said some of the teams that complain about time wasting are the same teams that employ delaying tactics when the situation suits them.
"Today it's team A that says that, but tomorrow they will be leading and they do exactly the same. What kind of double standards are those?
“It's everyone's responsibility to make our game better. When the 90 minutes have been played, everyone was playing the game and the other team was leading because they managed to score, why didn't you score? I mean it's not our fault, we can't be taking blame for things that we should as stakeholders put our heads together to solve," Ruzive said.
He said teams using dirty tactics should be punished so that spectators get value for money.
“We should be making our supporters come to the stadium to enjoy football by making sure we punish teams that waste time.”
During the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar, referees were adding all lost time and a number of matches breached the 100-minute mark and the strategy seemed to work in curbing time wasting.
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