"It is a point of incredible frustration at the moment" - Millington calls for more consistency and clarity over rule changes

The Halifax manager says alterations around added time and what would constitute a foul were made clear to clubs before the start of the new campaign.

Yet he was left unimpressed by the implementation of the changes.

"We went into the Bromley game with that on our minds as a staff," he said of the increase in added time that will be seen in games this season, "so how and when we make substitutions, not from a tactical perspective but a physical perspective, so we don't see anyone over-exerted.

"We've seen the central midfielders run further again on Saturday than they did last season, and some of that is they're very hard-working but also there's an aspect of that that they've played longer than they would have normally last season.

"Those extra minutes lead to extra exertion, which leads to extra injury risk.

"It is something that plays into the hands of the clubs with the bigger finances and bigger squads, but as with everything, we'll have to find a creative way to work around that and make sure we can compete."

Millington says the extra game-time that will result from increased added time won't be as easy for National League clubs, who only get to make three substitutions, to absorb as Football League clubs, who can make five changes.

"The purpose behind it, which is to eliminate time-wasting, is valid," he said.

"As a team who pride themselves on working hard to play within the rules, we want as many teams as possible working within those same rules.

"So trying to eliminate time-wasting is a really virtuous objective.

"But I'm not sure they've hit on the right method yet, I'm not intelligent enough to suggest what the right method would be, but I think extending the game by 10, 15, 20 minutes is probably not the solution any of us want."

However, causing greater frustration to the Town boss is confusion over how much contact now results in fouls and free-kicks, with Millington left feeling his team were unfairly punished in the 2-0 win over Bromley on Saturday.

"The biggest bug bear for me coming out of Saturday was the number of free-kicks that were given first and foremost, but the number that were given against us that clearly weren't fouls," he said.

"We had Jack Evans yellow carded for what I thought was probably the best tackle in the game.

"We were told at the league meeting by the head of the referees that the threshold for contact was going to be increased, and yet every time Michael Cheek or a Bromley player fell to the ground it was an automatic free-kick for them.

"That's the biggest bug bear about the changes, is the consistency, because it's completely inconsistent. Every season we hear the same and the officials fail to deliver on it.

"We've spent six weeks preparing the players for more contact, working in tighter areas, dealing with opposition contact and dishing out fair contact, and then you start with your opening game of the season and the referees aren't on the same page.

"I don't know how that's going to progress but it is a point of incredible frustration at the moment."