The ball-in-play time in the Premier League this season is the lowest it has been for 12 years, Sportsmail can reveal, amid growing calls for an overhaul of the timekeeping system in football.
Debate has raged over how long the ball is in play in recent years and it became a big talking point during the World Cup in Qatar after FIFA urged referees to become stricter over the amount of time they added on for stoppages.
Former FA and Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has proposed a countdown clock or the introduction of independent timekeeping in a document called 'Pure Time' to FIFA referee chiefs, which has been backed by the likes of Jamie Carragher.