A goalkeeper flopping to the turf, summoning the physio, and triggering a huddle in the technical area – a tactic that has infuriated fans and managers alike – could soon be consigned to history. English football will trial a new law beginning this weekend in an effort to eradicate the so-called tactical timeout, with the Carabao Cup preliminary round tie between Tranmere Rovers and Rochdale on Saturday set to be the first match to feature the rule.
The controversy reached a peak last November when Leeds United manager Daniel Farke accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to “bend the rules” during a Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium. “Everyone knows why he went down,” Farke said afterwards. “It is not the elephant in the room. Why he went down it was obvious. It is within the rules. It is smart. If I like it? If it’s within the sense of fair play? If it should be like this I will keep to myself. It is up to the authorities to find a solution.”
“English football trials rule forcing outfield player off pitch for one minute if goalkeeper treated, starting Saturday.”
Under the trial, backed collectively by Pro Ref, the Football Association, the Premier League, the English Football League, the Women’s Super League and the National League, a manager will be required to nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch for one minute after play restarts if the referee signals for the physio to treat the goalkeeper. If no player is chosen within 10 seconds, the captain must leave the field. The rule includes exceptions for when a free-kick is awarded for a foul on the goalkeeper, when the goalkeeper and an outfield player have collided, or when the goalkeeper is bleeding.
“The aim is to ensure genuine injuries continue to receive appropriate medical attention, while removing any potential sporting advantage associated with stoppages,” the governing bodies said in a joint statement. Permission from the International Football Association Board (Ifab) is still pending, but the trial is planned to run throughout the 2026-27 domestic season.
Alongside the goalkeeper rule, match officials will also use a five-second countdown for players delaying the taking of a throw-in or goal-kick, and from the start of the Carabao Cup on 1 August, substituted players will have 10 seconds to leave the pitch. Whether the measures will truly stop the tactic – or merely shift the gamesmanship to another part of the pitch – remains to be seen.
