Ramadan: Could mid-game fasting breaks become more common in football?
By James Gray, ITV News Multimedia Producer
Ramadan's annual arrival has affected sporting preparations for Muslim athletes, who observe the holy month in the Islamic calendar.
Footballers, including Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez, are among those impacted and who, like any other Muslim, must abstain from eating or drinking between sunrise and sunset.
The overlap of the holy month and footballing calendar poses questions for authorities as to how they can accommodate the beliefs of Muslim players.
On Monday, a mid-game break took place in the Premier League, giving an opportunity for players to break their fast and take on energy supplements.
So, how exactly do mid-game breaks work and could they become a regular feature in future seasons? ITV News explains.
Why are mid-game breaks taking place?
For the 2022/23 season, Premier League and English Football League (EFL) teams have been allowed to request a mid-game stoppage in order to allow Muslim players to break their fast as they observe the holy month of Ramadan.
Players from both Tottenham Hotspur and Everton paused their Premier League clash, on Monday evening, to allow any Muslim players the chance to take on food and drink.
A similar stoppage was observed last Friday by EFL sides Burnley and Sunderland, during their clash in the Championship.
How do mid-game breaks work?
Prior to a match taking place, clubs, who want a mid-game stoppage, must make a request to the relevant team of match officials.
A discussion will be held between the teams and match officials to identify an approximate time for the game to be paused.
However, this will not take place while matches are mid-flow and will instead happen when the ball is out of play. For example, during a goal-kick, free-kick or throw-in.
Those players observing Ramadan will then be given an opportunity to break their fast and take on board energy supplements.
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Have mid-game breaks happened before?
Yes. Two years ago a Premier League fixture between Leicester City and Crystal Palace, which coincided with the passing of Ramadan, held a mid-game break for players to break their fast.
When can players break their fast?
Anyone observing Ramadan must abstain from consuming food or drink within daylight hours. Consequently, players, like any other Muslim, can only eat or drink once the sun has set.
Monday's fixture between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton kicked off at 8pm - just before sunset had occurred - meaning the first opportunity players had to break their fast was midway through the first half.
How long does Ramadan last?
Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic calendar, which follows the lunar cycle - phases of the moon. As a result, Ramadan lasts for either 29 or 30 days in total, depending on when a new moon is first sighted.
It also means each year Ramadan begins around ten days earlier than the last to take place.
For 2023, Ramadan began on Wednesday March 22 and is expected to finish on Friday April 21.
Will more mid-game breaks happen in the future?
As the start date for Ramadan is edging closer to winter, mid-game stoppages are likely to become more commonplace in the coming years.
Winter generally coincides with a more congested period of fixtures than at any other point of the season, leading to more mid-week matches with later kick-off times.
Clubs playing in the Premier League and the EFL are particularly affected by this fixture pile-up, which will increase the likelihood of mid-game breaks being requested.
Are mid-game breaks allowed in other leagues?
Different leagues operate on varying rule sets. For example, in France, referees have been told not to stop matches to allow Muslim players the chance to break their fast.
In a letter to officials, France's football federation (FFF), said: "Football does not take into account the political, religious, ideological, or syndical [trade unions] considerations of its actors. It is up to all of the parties involved to make sure it is respected."
The arrangement led to Nantes defender, Jaouen Hadjam, being dropped for a match last weekend, after he refused to break his fast.
In total, Les Canaris have six Muslim players on their books, but Hadjam, an Algerian international, is the only one who continues his fast on matchdays.
Meanwhile, in Germany, last year, a mid-game stoppage was staged for the first time in Bundesliga history to allow a fasting player the chance to take on food and drink.
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