Hydration breaks booed at World Cup

 

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."

1. FOOTBALL RULES: What do you know about the football rules in the table? What do you think of them? How could they be changed or improved?  

	What I Know	What I Think	Changes
Offside
Throw ins
Substitutions
Free kicks
Cards
Penalties

 

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2.Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

1.	spectators	a.	Said that something was sad or disappointing.
2.	jeering	b.	Shouting unkind words to show dislike or disapproval.
3.	consternation	c.	Causing something to stop or not continue normally.
4.	disrupting	d.	People who watch an event, game, or show.
5.	momentum	e.	Times when something is stopped for a short time.
6.	lamented	f.	A feeling of great surprise, worry, or confusion.
7.	interruptions	g.	The force or energy that helps something keep moving or making progress.

    Paragraph 2

8.	governing body	h.	Mostly; more than anything else.
9.	regardless	i.	People who express negative opinions about something.
10.	critics	j.	A period of time during a TV or radio broadcast when an advertisement is shown.
11.	primarily	k.	The group that controls and makes rules for an activity or organization.
12.	commercial (adjective)	l.	Without being affected by something.
13.	ad slot	m.	An important part or characteristic of something.
14.	feature (noun)	n.	Related to buying, selling, or making money.

 

3. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. fans
2. expressing
3. jeering
4. consternation
5. stoppages
6. concept
7. regardless of
8. primarily
9. tournament
10. feature

1. first and foremost
2. dismay
3. point
4. communicating
5. setting aside
6. competition
7. shouting
8. halts
9. idea
10. supporters

4.Role play

Role  A – Your Team's Top (Jersey) You think your team's top (jersey) is the best thing to take to a football match. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): water, binoculars or a drum.

Role  B – Water You think water is the best thing to take to a football match. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): your team's top (jersey), binoculars or a drum.

Role  C – Binoculars You think binoculars are the best thing to take to a football match. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): water, your team's top (jersey) or a drum.

Role  D – A Drum You think a drum is the best thing to take to a football match. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): water, binoculars or your team's top (jersey).

5.Discussion - Hydration Breaks

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1. What did you think when you read the headline?
2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'hydration'?
3. What do you think of the World Cup?
4. Should there be hydration breaks in football games?
5. What do you think of hydration breaks ruining a game's momentum?
6. Are hydration breaks more for advertisers to make money?
7. What do you think of sticking with two 45-minute halves?
8. How do you feel when ads interrupt a live football match?
9. What are the alternatives to hydration breaks?
10. What advice do you have for FIFA?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

11. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
12. What do you think of when you hear the word 'boo'?
13. What do you think about what you read?
14. What do you think of football?
15. What do you think of spectators booing at hydration breaks?
16. Is advertising ruining live sports coverage?
17. Is commercialization ruining or improving sport?
18. What changes would make football better for spectators?
19. Who do you want to win the World Cup?
20. What questions would you like to ask the bosses of world football?