LONDON : English football will introduce a new rule on a trial basis next season to discourage teams from using goalkeeper injuries to gain tactical advantages, the Football Association and Premier League said on Monday after receiving approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
The trial will be implemented across the men’s and women’s professional game in England during the 2026-27 season, with backing from the FA, Premier League, English Football League (EFL), National League, Women’s Super League and Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
Under the new rule, if play is stopped because of a goalkeeper injury, the manager or head coach must immediately nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch for at least one minute after play resumes.
The measure is intended to remove any tactical benefit from stoppages, which have increasingly been used to disrupt opponents’ momentum or allow coaches to relay instructions.
IFAB said the trial builds on the existing Laws of the Game, under which an outfield player who is assessed or treated on the field, or whose injury causes play to be stopped, must leave the field for at least one minute.
Goalkeepers, however, have traditionally been exempt from that requirement.
In a statement, the FA said the trial was designed to address situations where goalkeeper injuries had been used tactically “to disrupt momentum, slow the game down or create opportunities for tactical instruction.”
“English football will continue to monitor the trial throughout the season, alongside IFAB and other stakeholders, to assess its effectiveness in supporting game flow while maintaining the highest standards of player welfare,” it added.
The issue has drawn criticism in recent seasons.
Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler criticised Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya after the Spaniard received treatment three times during Arsenal’s 1-0 Premier League victory last season.
“In general, the Premier League needs to find a rule because that’s not for football what Arsenal did there,” Hurzeler said at the time.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke also accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to “bend the rules” and interrupt the flow of play.
The trial will not apply in cases where the goalkeeper requires treatment after being fouled, collides with an outfield player who also needs medical attention, is bleeding, or suffers an injury resulting from a physical offence for which a free kick is awarded and requires immediate treatment.
The new rule will come into effect from the opening round of the League Cup on Aug. 1.
It forms part of a broader package of measures for the 2026-27 season aimed at reducing time-wasting, including a five-second countdown for delayed throw-ins and goal kicks, and a 10-second limit for substituted players to leave the field.
