NRL vows to end game delays to get ball in play more ROY MASTERSMark Kolbe Referee Gerard Sutton waits for the video review during a NRL playoff game in 2018. The NRL has declared war on "dead time" after games last year, on average, went five minutes longer yet there were only an additional seven seconds in playing time. The NRL document sent to football managers also highlights how penalties in 2018 resulted in dead time. It's part of the DNA of the game: if referees slow down the attack, coaches will quicken up the defence. "Improve ball in play as a percentage ofelapsed game time."

Source: Stuff February 10, 2019 18:00 UTC