English Football to Trial End of Goalkeeper Tactical Timeout
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- The FA, Premier League, EFL, National League and WSL agreed on the trial, pending clearance from IFAB, with the mechanism mirroring the existing rule that already forces outfield players off for one minute if the physio treats them.
- IFAB had decided against changing the law earlier in the year and instead invited leagues to volunteer for trials; English football settled on the substitution approach after discussions led by Pro Ref chief Howard Webb.
- If IFAB approves in time, the first game will be the Carabao Cup preliminary round tie between Tranmere and Rochdale on Saturday, 1 August, with the coach given 10 seconds to nominate which outfield player leaves via the fourth official.
- If no player is nominated within 10 seconds, the captain must leave the field; the Australian A-League will trial a stricter variation where the captain must always be the one to go off.
- Exemptions cover cases where the keeper declines the physio and didn't cause the stoppage, goalkeeper-outfield collisions, keepers fouled needing immediate treatment, bleeding, serious injury requiring substitution, or concussion.
- IFAB will assess trial results throughout the seasons, with the measure potentially leading to a permanent global law change from 2027-28.
- The controversy was highlighted when Leeds United boss Daniel Farke accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to 'bend the rules' and break up play in November.
Why it matters: Fans and officials have grown frustrated as goalkeepers feign injury to disrupt attacking momentum — Leeds boss Daniel Farke accused Donnarumma of 'bending the rules' in November. Under the trial, teams trying to hold a late lead would be forced to play with 10 outfield players for a minute, a real tactical penalty where previous soft sanctions failed; a successful English trial could influence IFAB's global rules from 2027-28.
