The governing bodies that oversee the top tiers of English football have agreed to launch a pilot programme in the coming season that seeks to eliminate the practice of goalkeepers feigning injury in order to waste time. The initiative, which has been approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), will be tested across the Premier League, the English Football League (EFL), the Football Association (FA), the National League, the Women's Super League (WSL) and the Professional Referees' Association (Pro Ref). All of these organisations have signed off on the trial after a series of consultations about how best to address what many consider an abuse of the rules. The problem at hand is commonly described as a "goalkeeper tactical timeout." In this scenario the goalkeeper pretends to be injured, prompting the referee to stop play and allow a medical professional onto the field.
While the goalkeeper is being tended to, the manager can use the pause to relay instructions, reorganise the defensive shape or otherwise disrupt the momentum of the opposition. Critics argue that this behaviour provides an unfair sporting advantage and undermines the flow of the game. In response, the new protocol introduces a penalty that targets the outfield side rather than the keeper.
Under the proposed system, when a referee indicates that a physio may attend to the goalkeeper, the defending coach will have ten seconds to nominate an outfield player who must leave the pitch for at least one minute. If the coach fails to name a player within that window, the responsibility falls to the team captain, who will then be required to exit the field. The selected player must remain off the touchline until a full minute has elapsed after play resumes.
This rule is intended to preserve the ability of genuine injuries to receive proper medical attention while removing any incentive for teams to exploit stoppages for tactical gain. The trial will be monitored closely throughout the season by the participating leagues, the IFAB and other relevant stakeholders.
Data will be collected on the impact of the rule on match tempo, player welfare and overall fairness. Early indications suggest that the measure could be introduced as soon as the Carabao Cup preliminary round, providing a high‑profile platform for observation. The issue of goalkeeper time‑wasting has already been highlighted in several high‑profile incidents.
In November, Leeds United manager Daniel Farke publicly accused Manchester City’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of pretending to be injured in order to "bend the rules" and disrupt play. Later, in December, former England international Gary Neville alleged that Newcastle United’s Aaron Ramsdale deliberately went down after receiving instructions from Lewis Hall, who in turn was acting on directions from Magpies boss Eddie Howe.
Neville suggested that the tactic was a direct response to the way Manchester United were managing the game, pointing to a specific moment when United’s Luke Shaw was about to take a throw‑in before the stoppage occurred. Neville quoted himself as saying, "I am going to be a little bit cynical, I might be proven completely wrong but I think Eddie Howe told Lewis Hall to tell [Aaron] Ramsdale to go down. I think there's a message gone on and I think they are changing on the back of what United are doing. Look at what Lewis Hall is doing.
I think Eddie Howe said 'stop the game'." That match ended 1‑0 in favour of Manchester United after Patrick Dorgu scored the decisive goal. In March, Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi (often mistakenly referred to as Fabian Hurzeler) criticised his own goalkeeper David Raya for what appeared to be a tactical pause, adding further fuel to the debate about the need for clearer regulations. Beyond the specific anecdotes, the broader conversation revolves around the balance between protecting player health and preserving the integrity of the sport. Football’s governing bodies have long grappled with how to handle genuine injuries without allowing teams to manipulate the stoppage for strategic purposes.
The current trial represents a novel approach by shifting the penalty onto an outfield player, thereby discouraging coaches from orchestrating fake injuries while still ensuring that real medical concerns are addressed promptly. Supporters of the trial argue that it will encourage teams to focus on legitimate tactical adjustments rather than exploiting loopholes.
They also point out that the one‑minute exclusion period is short enough to avoid overly penalising a side for a genuine injury, yet long enough to deter calculated delays. Critics, however, warn that the rule could inadvertently punish teams that have no control over a goalkeeper’s decision to seek treatment, and they call for careful monitoring to ensure that the sanction is applied fairly. The trial will be accompanied by a public education campaign aimed at fans, coaches and players, explaining the rationale behind the rule and how it will be enforced.
The English football authorities have pledged to review the data at the end of the season and to work with the IFAB on any necessary refinements. If the experiment proves successful, the rule could be adopted permanently and potentially serve as a model for other leagues worldwide that face similar challenges with time‑wasting tactics. In the meantime, fans can follow the progress of the trial through live broadcasts, the Sky Sports app and other digital platforms. Whether you are a Sky subscriber or prefer a contract‑free streaming option, the league’s fixtures will be available across multiple channels.
The ultimate goal is to keep the beautiful game moving smoothly, ensuring that every minute of play reflects genuine competition rather than engineered pauses. The trial underscores the ongoing commitment of English football to uphold the highest standards of player welfare while safeguarding the sport’s competitive spirit. As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on how clubs adapt to the new rule, how referees implement it on the pitch, and whether the measure will indeed curtail the practice of goalkeeper‑initiated timeouts without compromising the safety of injured players.