Why there are 45 minutes to each half in football

There is only one thing more exciting than a woman who loves cars: A woman who loves football.

Unfortunately, in the imperfect world that we live in... not everything goes our way.
(In a woman's world most men would love handbag shopping too but we don't see that happening do we?)
So just a few days ago I was talking to a very very shy girl friend of mine whom I would here refer to as Susan (not her real name) and she was asking me about football.

Here's how the conversation went (or at least what I can remember of it).

Susan: What is extra time?

Stewie: Extra time is the two 15 minutes halves you have after the initial 90 minutes goes by without a goal being scored. If no goal is scores in the 30 minute extra time, there will be a Penalty Shootout.

Susan: Oh... so the actual football game lasts for 90 minutes?

Stewie: Well yes. Two halves of 45 minutes.

Susan: Why are there 45 minutes to each half?

Stewie: .... What?!

Susan: I mean... why did they decide to have 45 minutes to each half instead of 30 minutes or 50 minutes?

Stewie: Because..... those... are.... the rules...???

Susan: But why do they make the rules like that?

Stewie: I don't know... that's just the way the rules are!

Susan: How can all of you men love such a stupid game that has rules that don't even make sense?
As you can imagine, I quickly change the subject before the conversation heated up but I went home that night to think of an answer, even asking quite a few of my football crazy friends for an answer.

I went back to talk to her the next day.

Stewie: Eh... I have an answer to the question you asked me the other day.

Susan: What question?

HAH... the woman knows what's coming and she pretends not to remember asking me that question to avoid the shame of facing the FANTASTIC AND LOGICAL ANSWER I have prepared for her.

Stewie: The one where you asked me why one half in football has 45 minutes instead of 30 or 50 minutes.

Susan: Oh yes... tell me... what's the answer?

Ok fine... maybe not...

Stewie:
Well it's like this.

In the old days they decided that each minute should represent each ball in the game. Now each team has 11 players right?

And each player has two balls.

So that is 22 balls each side.
Now since there are two teams, that makes a total of 44 balls in the game.

You get it?

Susan: So where is the 45th ball which accounts for the 45th minute of each half?

Stewie: That would be the soccer ball that they kick around.

Susan: .....

Stewie: Makes sense right?

Susan: What a stupid answer... I hope you didn't stay up all night thinking of this stupid answer.

Stewie: I did stay up all night thinking of this answer. You asked me such a stupid question I found it painfully hard to find a stupid enough answer for your stupid question. Yet, tell this to your boyfriend and I'm sure he'll say it's a damn good answer.

Susan: Tell this to your girlfriend and I'm sure she'll tell you it's a stupid answer.

My baby thought it was a stupid answer :(

*sigh*