ISL will now have 'cooling breaks' in accordance with FIFA rules

The 2019-20 season of the Indian Super League commenced on Sunday, October 20 with a match between Kerala Blasters and ATK in Kochi. The match included a 'cooling break' for the teams, a concept which was introduced this season. The breaks are in accordance with FIFA rules. The cooling break will last around 90 seconds to three minutes. The duration of the break will be decided on the basis of the climate conditions at the venue. Match officials and the referee will be taking the call at every venue. The cooling breaks were officially introduced by FIFA during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil due to extreme heat at many of the venues in the country. Even then, the climate conditions had to be evaluated before the break was granted. The temperature also had to exceed 32 degrees and was considered on a match-by-match basis.

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The ISL 2019-20 season so far

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The first match of the ISL season saw Kerala Blasters triumph over ATK with a 2-1 scoreline. Bartholomew Ogbeche scored both the goals for Kerala. Monday's match between Bengaluru FC and NorthEast United FC ended in a 0-0 draw. Currently, Kerala Blasters are ranked first with three points. Since ATK lost, they are ranked tenth with a GD of -1.  On Tuesday, Jamshedpur FC and Odisha FC will lock horns for the third match for the season at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur. The winner of the tournament will also represent India in the AFC Champions League Playoffs, Asia's top-tier club competition.

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