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IFAB approves trial
English football has received approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to introduce a new goalkeeper injury trial for the 2026-27 season aimed at stopping teams exploiting so-called tactical goalkeeper timeouts.
“The first game to feature the trial will be the Carabao Cup preliminary round tie between Tranmere and Rochdale on Saturday.”
Under the trial, if play is stopped for 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 trial is set to be implemented across England's men's and women's professional game, with the Football Association, Premier League, English Football League (EFL), National League and Women's Super League all named as backers.
The first game to feature the trial is the Carabao Cup preliminary round tie between Tranmere and Rochdale on Saturday, and the BBC reports that the Australian A-League will trial a variation with the captain always having to leave the field.
Pro Ref, led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, settled on the outfield-player removal approach after discussions with the leagues on how to tackle the issue.
How it works
If a referee signals that the physio can come on to treat a goalkeeper, that team's coach will have 10 seconds to nominate another player to leave the pitch for one minute after play has restarted, telling the fourth official of their choice.
If no player has been selected within 10 seconds, the captain must leave the field, and the nominated player is required to remain off the field for a minimum of one minute after the restart of play.
The trial is designed to ensure genuine injuries continue to receive appropriate medical attention while removing any potential sporting advantage associated with stoppages, according to the governing bodies' joint statement.
Exceptions to the outfield-player requirement include when a free-kick is awarded for a foul on the goalkeeper and they immediately require treatment, when the goalkeeper and an outfield player have collided and need attention, or when the goalkeeper is bleeding.
The measures are also paired with time-management changes for 2026-27, including a five-second countdown for delayed throw-ins and goal kicks and a 10-second limit for players leaving the pitch when substituted.
Deterrent and knock-on
The trial follows a pattern of goalkeepers sitting on the turf and signalling for the physio while all the other players rush to the technical area for a team talk, a tactic described as increasingly common and controversial in recent seasons.
“At Ifab's AGM in February, head of referees Pierluigi Collina said finding a solution to stop the goalkeeper tactical timeout was a priority.”
At the Ifab AGM in February, head of referees Pierluigi Collina said finding a solution to stop the goalkeeper tactical timeout was a priority, and at the 2026 World Cup Collina told officials to prevent players from going to the technical area on all stoppages.
English football chose the trial because merely stopping players going to the technical area would not deter coaches from using goalkeepers to break up play, and the BBC says the outfield-player removal is intended as a proactive deterrent rather than reactive to a team talk as it happens.
The BBC also notes that the effectiveness of the measure is open to debate because the three-minute hydration breaks in each half created a natural opportunity for a team talk.
The trial’s results are to be assessed by Ifab at its meetings throughout the seasons, with the BBC adding that this could lead to a permanent law change globally from 2027-28.
