Combining a few different suggestions into a recommended full revamp of the timers to have a “soft” timer for regular IFAB matches and a “hard” timer for matches with no stoppage time and a firm end time at 0:00 (e.g. NCAA, NFHS)
IFAB/FIFA “Soft” Timer
1) Count up: 0:00 to Full Time
—- “Normal” match timer. Same as current functionality.
—- 1H 0:00 to 45:00+stoppage, 2H 45:00 to 90:00+stoppage
—- Index for match events
—- Button press or screen tap does not stop timer
2) Count down: Half Time to 0:00
—- 1H 45:00 to 0:00, 2H 45:00 to 0:00
—- After 0:00, count UP to indicate stoppage time. Add + to indicate transition to stoppage time. 0:02, 0:01, 0:00, +0:01, +0:02, etc. Maybe use different font? Different color (e.g. green >> white)?
—- Vibrate at zero
—- Vibrate at +1, +2, +3, etc. until half is ended
3) Stoppage timer: 0:00 to …
—- Button press or screen tap starts/stops stoppage timer
—- Same as current functionality
4) PAUSE MATCH option
—- Hard stop on all timers, GPS tracking, etc. for weather or other events that cause a match to be temporarily suspended
NCAA/NFHS “Hard” Timer
1) Count up: 0:00 to Full Time
—- 1H 0:00 to 40:00, 2H 40:00 to 80:00
—- Index for match events (vs. elapsed time in the current model)
2) Count down: Half Time to 0:00
3) No stoppage timer
4) Button push or screen tap stops all timers
5) Extra time operates identical to regular time
6) PAUSE MATCH option. Same as above.
The timer configuration (soft/hard, watch face display) is saved with the match template. This eliminates the need to check or change timer options before each match, especially for those of us that may do an NCAA match Saturday afternoon, then a USSF match Saturday evening.