Record-Breaking Match Times in La Liga: A Closer Look

omidbasir- La Liga EA Sports’ 24th matchday set a record with the longest effective game time of the season in the Girona-Barcelona match, while the Getafe-Villarreal encounter boasted the least effective play.

This stark contrast of over 23 minutes in actual playtime raises concerns about the state of Spanish football. In Montilivi, the Girona and Barcelona match had a total of 102 minutes and 52 seconds of action, with 66 minutes and 14 seconds of effective play. Conversely, the Coliseum exhibited only 42 minutes and 47 seconds of effective play from a total of 100 minutes and 49 seconds.

A critical factor contributing to this disparity is the number of fouls committed. In the Girona-Barcelona match, there were only 16 fouls (10 from Girona and 6 from Barcelona), compared to a staggering 38 fouls (21 from Getafe and 17 from Villarreal) in the latter match.

This situation has ignited a debate regarding the management of actual playing time, with suggestions to adopt a stop-clock system to minimize time wastage. Notably, former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernández has advocated for this change, stating, “I would implement effective time in football to eliminate simulation and trickery.”

Currently, the average effective playtime this season stands at nearly 55 minutes (54:59), showing improvement over previous seasons.