Paul Simpson has issued a call for more consistency over the new timekeeping rules in football.

The Carlisle United boss could not understand why more added time was not played at the end of Saturday’s game at Oxford United.

Simpson said the ball was in play less than in United’s previous two games – yet there was less added time.

Blues manager Simpson said the inconsistency means he and his colleagues “do not have a clue what’s going on” in terms of the decision-making from refereeing authorities.

Simpson was asked for his views on the matter by BBC Radio Cumbria after the 1-0 defeat at the Kassam Stadium, and spoke passionately about the matter in response.

“I’ve just been to see the referee, not to have a go, just to get some clarity on it,” he said.

“I said last weekend we played a game [against Fleetwood Town] where the ball was in play for 63 minutes. I know that’s what we’re trying to improve on.

“Tuesday night [at Harrogate Town] I think it was 61. Today [at Oxford] it was 57 minutes.

“We had 18 minutes added last Saturday, about nine on Tuesday, so I just asked him [ref Jeremy Simpson] could he give me some clarity on why there was only eight minutes when we’ve had less ball in play than the previous two games?

“Also during the eight minutes of stoppage time there was a substitution, yellow cards, the ball was out of play or a long, long time, the goalkeeper got spoken to twice, and his explanation was the referees were told by Howard Webb during the week that they did it wrong last weekend and you shouldn’t add it on for yellow cards, you can’t add it on for all the times the ball goes out of play.

“He says, ‘I accept maybe I should have added a little bit more time on’.

“But I’ve just said, surely if Howard Webb and the PGMOL [the refereeing body] are making those decisions and having those conversations, it would be good if we were told about it.

“We’re asking for a bit of consistency, and it’s the referees in the firing line, and people make these decisions without any discussion.

“I’m not saying we would have contested or tried to change it, but at least tell us and give us a clue what’s going on.

“I’ve just said to Jez Simpson in there, we have not got a clue what’s going on at the moment, that’s me being totally honest.

“I didn’t know what was going on Tuesday, it was a different way of officiating to last Saturday, and today was a little bit different again.

“It’s frustrating. Listen, that’s not why we lost the game but I do find it a little bit frustrating because there’s not consistency.”