Timeout

In sports, a time-out or timeout is a halt in the play. This allows the coaches of either team to communicate with the team, e.g., to determine strategy or inspire morale, as well as to stop the game clock.

There are no timeouts during a game of soccer. Soccer does not have timeouts as the official Laws of the Game do not permit them. The only point in the game that the time is stopped is for a 15-minute break between the two 45 minute halves.

The fact that timeouts are not allowed during a soccer game affects the way the game is played and can have both a positive and negative affect on the game.

Soccer doesn’t have timeouts during the game simply because that wasn’t the way it was set up and the Laws of the Game of soccer don’t permit them.

Ever since soccer was invented in the 19th Century the only stoppage in the play where a coach could bring all the players together and communicate with them was the half time break in the middle of the game.

Throughout its history timeouts have never been introduced at a professional level and if they were then there is a real chance it could change the dynamics of a game. Not only would there be far more stopping and starting but coaches would set up their teams and tactics differently knowing they could call a timeout when they needed.

The way that soccer is currently played and the way coaches interact with players during the game is one of the reasons soccer is such a great game to play and watch.