English football to trial radical rule change to clamp down on goalkeeper tactical timeouts

FootballSports
27 Jul 2026 • 11:09 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

English football to trial radical rule change to clamp down on goalkeeper tactical timeouts

  • English football is reportedly set to trial a new rule in a bid to tackle tactical timeouts triggered by goalkeepers going down injured during matches.
  • Matches were paused throughout last season when a goalkeeper went down claiming to be injured, with the rest of the team then heading over to the touchline to take on information from the manager while the keeper receives treatment.
  • This has caused anger among some players, managers and fans, who argue this is a deliberate attempt to pause the opponent’s momentum in a game.
  • However, according to the BBC’s Dale Johnson, a rule will be trialed next season where if a physio comes on to treat a goalkeeper, the manager will then have 10 seconds to nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch for one minute.
  • The rule is set to be implemented in the Premier League, EFL, National League and WSL next season.
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