India, June 16 -- This summer's FIFA World Cup has introduced a host of changes to the game - some aimed at improving the spectator experience, others at assisting match officials, and one specifically focused on player welfare. Yet it is the latter - the mandatory hydration breaks introduced midway through each half - that has attracted more attention than almost any other innovation, raising questions about who ultimately benefits from them.

In December last year, FIFA announced that the expanded 104-game World Cup, being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico, would feature mandatory three-minute hydration breaks in both halves.

Hydration breaks are not entirely new to football. Major competitions, including previous Worl...