First official World Cup ‘cooling break’ taken in Holland v Mexico match

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/29/holland-mexico-world-cup-cooling-break

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History was made during the World Cup last-16 match between Holland and Mexico in Fortaleza on Sunday as the players left the field for the first official “cooling break” ever in the competition.

In temperatures of up to 39C at the Estádio Castelão, Portuguese referee Pedro Proença opted to implement Fifa’s new rules which allow a game to be stopped for three minutes to allow the players to rehydrate.

A Fifa statement said: “Official and mandatory cooling breaks have not been established for the 64 games of the 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil, but instead they will be considered on a match-by-match basis.

“Climate conditions will be evaluated and should the temperature exceed 32 degrees, then the Fifa Venue Medical Office will recommend cooling breaks to the Fifa General Coordinator and Match Commissioner. The implementation of the cooling breaks will reside with the referee.

“Cooling breaks last three minutes in duration are then implemented by the referee at approximately 30 minutes into the run-of-play in both halves of the match (i.e. around the 30th minute and 75th minute respectively). Three minutes will then be added to stoppage time at the end of each half.”