English football to try new rule against goalkeeper tactical timeouts

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Manchester United’s Belgian goalkeeper #31 Senne Lammens gestures to teammates during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, north west England on February 23, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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English football is set to try a new rule aimed at stopping goalkeepers from deliberately using injury stoppages as tactical timeouts during matches, with teams potentially forced to play with 10 men for one minute if a goalkeeper receives treatment, the BBC Sport reports.

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The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women’s Super League have agreed to the trial, subject to approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

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Under the proposed measure, when a referee allows a goalkeeper to receive treatment from a physiotherapist after play has been stopped, the coach will have 10 seconds to nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch for one minute.

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If the coach fails to nominate a player within the 10-second window, the captain will be required to leave the field.

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The trial could begin with the Carabao Cup preliminary-round match between Tranmere Rovers and Rochdale on August 1, provided IFAB gives the necessary clearance.

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The move follows growing concerns over goalkeepers appearing to feign or exaggerate injuries to halt play, disrupt an opponent’s momentum or provide coaches with an opportunity to deliver tactical instructions to their players.

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The practice has become increasingly controversial, particularly when goalkeepers go down late in matches as their teams attempt to protect a lead.

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Leeds United manager Daniel Farke was among those to criticise the tactic last season after accusing Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to “bend the rules” and break up play.

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The new proposal is designed as a deterrent. While players will still be allowed to gather near the touchline during a stoppage, the prospect of temporarily playing with 10 men is expected to discourage teams from deliberately using goalkeeper injuries to gain a tactical advantage.

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There will, however, be exemptions. An outfield player will not be required to leave the pitch if the goalkeeper does not need treatment and play has not been stopped, if the goalkeeper and a teammate collide, if the goalkeeper is fouled and requires immediate treatment, or if the goalkeeper is bleeding.

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The rule will also not apply in cases involving a serious injury requiring substitution or suspected concussion.

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The proposed trial comes after IFAB decided against immediately changing the Laws of the Game but invited competitions to test possible solutions to the goalkeeper tactical timeout issue.

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IFAB’s head of referees, Pierluigi Collina, had earlier identified the practice as an issue that needed to be addressed. At the 2026 World Cup, match officials were instructed to prevent players from gathering at their technical area during stoppages.

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However, English football believes that simply restricting access to the technical area would not be enough to stop teams from deliberately slowing the game through goalkeeper treatment.

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The results of the trials will be assessed by IFAB during meetings across the coming seasons and could eventually lead to a permanent change to the Laws of the Game worldwide from the 2027-28 season.

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The Australian A-League is also expected to trial a variation of the rule, under which the captain would automatically be required to leave the pitch whenever a goalkeeper receives treatment.

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