It’s one of the most important aspects of #DecisionDay: ensuring matches kick off at the same time.
But it’s also tougher than you might think to pull off.
MLS league operations staff have hatched a plan to ensure every 5 pm ET and 7 pm ET match kicks off at the exact same time on Sunday — both in the first half as well as the second half.
To accomplish the feat, each home club will be assigning a staff member to be stationed next to the fourth official’s table before the start of each match. That person will be on a conference call with the MLS Operations Center to listen to the countdown to first-half kick off given by Brent Delgado, MLS senior manager of operations.
Perfect plan, right? Well, there’s one variable that complicates things when it gets closer to halftime: added time.
Referees in different cities may choose to decide to add different lengths of stoppage time, which would have the domino effect of staggering the kick off times for the second half.
Well, there’s a plan for that, too.
“We’re going to have that same dedicated staffer dial into the conference call no later than the 40th minute [of the first half] to confirm the amount of stoppage time as soon as it’s announced,” Delgado told MLSsoccer.com. “If you have one to three minutes of stoppage time across the board, we’re going to make sure all the games start the second half at the same time and we’ll hold the matches that are running ahead.
“But if there’s a severe injury or a severe weather delay and you have four minutes or more of stoppage time, then that match is going to be left behind, while the others start the second half simultaneously."
Just one more storyline to add to the #DecisionDay list.
