Mauricio Pochettino and other national team head coaches have been given the green light to use laptops to provide their players with tactical instructions during water breaks at the World Cup.
Pochettino, the U.S. men's national team head coach, took advantage of the first of two three-minute breaks during a friendly match against Senegal on Sunday night by gathering his players around a MacBook screen in the dugout.
This took place midway through the first half: analyst Alex Scott held the laptop in the palm of his hand while Pochettino pointed at the screen to highlight relevant video analysis.
However, after the match — the U.S. won 3-2 — Pochettino admitted he was unsure whether he would be allowed to provide similar instructions during the World Cup.
“We'll see now in the World Cup if they can allow that, and how we are going to do that,†Pochettino told reporters at full time.
But the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the sport's lawmakers, do not prevent a head coach from utilising electronic equipment during a match.
“The use of any form of electronic communication by team officials is permitted where it directly relates to player welfare or safety or for tactical/coaching reasons but only small, mobile, handheld equipment (e.g. microphone, headphone, earpiece, mobile phone/smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, laptop) may be used,†IFAB's regulations state.
And FIFA sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, have told The Athletic that, as per the laws of the game, head coaches and other backroom staff can use laptops at all times.
This means they will not be stopping Pochettino — or others — from utilising the mandatory water breaks to show video footage to their players to help accompany any tactical instructions.
Players at the World Cup will, however, have to remain on the field during the hydration breaks, meaning they will be unable to step over the touchline to huddle around the laptop on the bench, as the U.S. team did with Pochettino on Sunday. But there are no laws that would prevent players from studying a laptop next to the touchline while remaining on the field.
Why are there water breaks at the World Cup?
In December, FIFA announced every World Cup fixture will pause for three minutes during each half for a “hydration breakâ€, irrespective of the weather conditions.
This is the first time such a rule has been introduced at a World Cup and it was primarily done as a player safety measure, although effectively splitting the match into four quarters allows the coaches to make any tactical tweaks during the pause.
“There will be no weather or temperature condition in place, with the breaks being called by the referee in all games, to ensure equal conditions for all teams, in all matches,†FIFA said in their December press release.
Where are the players allowed to stand?
During the U.S. national team's friendly, Pochettino delivered his tactical instructions with his players stood around him in the dugout
But during the World Cup, FIFA sources, again speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, have told The Athletic that players will not be able to leave the field of play during the hydration breaks.
However, there is nothing in the regulations to prevent them all from going to the sideline to watch video footage on a laptop or other electronic device, so long as they remain on the field of play.
How did Pochettino utilise the break during Sunday's match?
Although Pochettino has previously spoken out against the mandated three-minute breaks, the Argentine has now shown a clear willingness to embrace them.
During the first hydration break against Senegal, he waved his team over and, once the players had gathered around him, instructed the analyst holding the MacBook to start the video.
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“OK, keep going, play,†Pochettino was caught saying by the TV cameras and microphones. “And now, and now — stop.
“And now, listen! Tim (Ream), now you see that it's impossible to play (a pass). Play here. Stay a little bit. … And we play, and we play safe! Because in that moment, we are open.â€
A U.S. national team staffer then stepped in and blocked the cameras.
What else may happen during the hydration breaks?
As well as having player welfare and sporting implications, the enforced three-minute breaks will be important from a commercial standpoint.
Traditionally, each half of football lasts 45 minutes with TV adverts only being shown before the match, at half time, and then at full time.
But with World Cup matches now being split into what is effectively four defined quarters, the two three-minute breaks opened up the possibility for advertisements to fill the void.
And broadcasters have been told by FIFA that they can show adverts during the pauses in play.
As reported by The Athletic in March, some guardrails have been put in place, with broadcasters being told that the ad break should not start within 20 seconds of the referee's whistle pausing play, and that they need to return to the action 30 seconds before the match continues.
This would enable them to show adverts for just over two minutes and, if they don't fully cut away, they are only permitted to sell advertising to FIFA sponsors as opposed to other companies.
