In the week when the Allen Stanford scandal led to widespread accusations of cricket 'selling its soul for cash', football authorities have come under fire for plotting to extend the half-time interval in matches, apparently for commercial reasons.
Several changes will be discussed in Northern Ireland next weekend at a meeting of football's law-making body, the International Football Association Board. The most controversial of these is the addition of five minutes to the half-time break. The proposal for a 20-minute interval has been put forward by Fifa, the world governing body, who say they are concerned that players and referees have no time for rest at some stadiums after walking to the dressing room.
There is, however, another consideration. Sponsorship analysts have calculated ITV's advertising take at the last World Cup to have been at least £300,000 a minute, rising to £1m for England games. The scope for Fifa to generate additional revenue from the extra five minutes is clear, especially as the next World Cup, in South Africa in 2010, will take place in a time zone suited to football's most developed broadcast markets: the UK, Spain, Italy, France and Germany.
Fifa's contention that it is taking footballers "much of the current 15-minute half-time interval" to get to and from their dressing rooms was rejected as "nonsense" by Malcolm Clarke, chair of the Football Supporters' Federation.
"If it is primarily for commercial reasons most supporters will be against it," he said. "It used to be 10 minutes years ago, then 15. Where will it end?"
Other talking points will include the use of video technology for goal-line decisions, the introduction of a fourth substitute for games that go to extra time and a clarification on when players are deemed to be active under the offside law. The Irish Football Association also want to canvass support for their idea of introducing sin bins for certain offences, though there is no chance of this becoming a new rule next week.
Any rule change requires the support of at least two of the four home associations, all of whom sit on the International Board with Fifa. The FA will send two representatives to the meeting – Jonathan Hall, head of the football division at Soho Square, and Neale Barry, head of refereeing – though they have no formal position on the 20-minute break proposal.
Plans to use goalline cameras were rejected by Fifa's representatives on the International Board at last year's meeting in Scotland. The return of the item to the agenda – this time for preliminary discussion, rather than to be voted on – has been prompted by the Scottish FA, with support from their English counterparts and from the Premier League, who are not represented on the board, but who are keen backers of the HawkEye technology widely used in cricket and tennis.