English football to trial new rule against tactical goalkeeper timeouts
Premier League, FA, and WSL have agreed to a trial forcing teams to play with 10 men for one minute if a goalkeeper requires medical treatment on the pitch.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 / Author: AFC Bournemouth
English football's governing bodies have collectively approved a pioneering regulatory trial designed to eradicate one of the game's most frustrating modern loopholes: the use of fake goalkeeper injuries to secure tactical timeouts. The Premier League, FA, EFL, National League, and Women's Super League have jointly agreed to the measure.
Under the new protocol, if a referee signals for the physio to treat a goalkeeper, the coach will have 10 seconds to nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch for one minute. If no player is selected within that window, the team captain must depart. The measure, developed alongside PGMOL, aims to penalise teams that use such delays to break an opponent's momentum.
The move follows widespread criticism of players feigning injury to "bend the rules." Previous discussions suggested that merely restricting access to the technical area was insufficient. By forcing a numerical disadvantage, authorities hope to provide a tangible disincentive for teams attempting to manipulate the clock.
Specific exemptions apply for cases where the goalkeeper does not require treatment or if the injury results from a collision with another player. The trial is pending final clearance from IFAB. If approved, the first match to feature the rule will be the Carabao Cup tie between Tranmere and Rochdale this Saturday.