The first official stoppage during a match was featured in yesterday’s encounter between Netherlands and mexico which ended 2-1 in favour of the Netherlands after a dramatic come back and a late penalty awarded to the dutch.
With temperatures of more than 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Brazilian northeastern state of Ceara, referee Pedro Proenca gave the players three-minute water breaks in each half.
“Playing under this type of weather goes against football even if we were physically OK,” Mexico coach Miguel Herrera told reporters after the game. “There is a point where the fatigue, the restrictions, the sun take their toll.”
FIFA uses as its indicator the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature – – a composite measurement used to estimate the effect of temperature, humidity and wind speed. Should the indicator exceed 32 degrees, breaks would take place, Michel D’Hooghe, head of FIFA medical committee, said in an interview before the tournament started June 12.
The referee implements the breaks around the 30th and 75th minutes of the game. Three minutes will then be added to stoppage time at the end of each half to compensate.
