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Hydration breaks booed at World Cup
PRINT ALL READINGS (PDF)Hydration Breaks - Level 4
Football fans are not happy about the new hydration breaks at the World Cup. Spectators in stadiums have been booing the breaks. They are not the only unhappy ones. Players and managers are also less than happy. France's manager said the breaks disrupted free-flowing football. He said: "It's almost four quarters, and before we had two halves." A Netherlands defender said the breaks were "not really" something he wanted in football.
FIFA introduced the idea of water breaks last year. It said they would be in every game, regardless of temperatures. Some games have been held in climate-controlled conditions. Critics say the breaks are for commercial reasons. The BBC reported that an average 30-second World Cup ad slot costs up to $750,000. One TV channel came back late from a commercial break. The BBC said: "It is highly likely that the breaks will remain a long-term feature."
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Hydration Breaks - Level 5
Football fans are not happy about the new hydration breaks at the World Cup. Spectators in stadiums have been expressing their dissatisfaction with the breaks by booing. They are not the only ones to express their unhappiness. Players and managers are less than happy. France's manager complained about the breaks disrupting the free-flowing nature and momentum of games. He said: "It's almost four quarters, and before we had two halves." A Netherlands defender said the breaks were unnecessary. He said they were "not really" something he wanted in football.
Football's governing body introduced the concept of water breaks last year. It said they would be in every game, regardless of temperatures. Some games in the USA have been held in climate-controlled conditions. Critics argue that the breaks are mainly for commercial reasons. The BBC reported that an average 30-second World Cup ad slot on Fox Sports costs up to $750,000. Fox came back late from a commercial break during the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa. The BBC added that: "It is highly likely that the breaks will remain a long-term feature."
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Hydration Breaks - Level 6
Football fans worldwide are not happy about the introduction of hydration breaks at the World Cup. Spectators in the stadiums have been expressing their dissatisfaction with the breaks in play by booing and jeering. They are not the only ones to express their consternation. Players and managers are less than happy. French manager Didier Deschamps complained about breaks disrupting the free-flowing nature and momentum of games. He said: "It's almost four quarters, and before we had two halves." Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk said that the stoppages were unnecessary. He lamented the sudden interruptions for ad breaks on TV, saying it was "not really" something he wanted in football.
Football's governing body FIFA introduced the concept of water breaks last December. It said they would be in every game, regardless of temperatures. Some games in the USA have been held under roofs, in climate-controlled conditions. Critics argue that the breaks exist primarily for commercial reasons. The BBC reported that an average 30-second World Cup ad slot on Fox Sports costs up to $750,000 during high-profile matches. Fox came back late from a commercial break during the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa. The BBC added that: "Given the financial benefits… it is highly likely that the breaks will remain a long-term feature."
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