English football to trial rule penalising goalkeeper time‑outs
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has approved a trial rule that will penalise teams when a goalkeeper receives on‑field medical treatment. Under the proposal, the manager has ten seconds to name an outfield player who must leave the pitch for one minute; if no player is selected, the captain is required to leave. The sanction means the team will play with one fewer outfield player for the minute after play resumes. The trial will be applied in English professional competitions – the Premier League, English Football League, Women’s Super League and National League – and is slated for the 2026/27 season. If IFAB gives final approval, the first match to test the rule will be the Carabao Cup preliminary‑round clash between Tranmere Rovers and Rochdale on 1 August 2026. A parallel experiment in Australia’s A‑League will use a variation in which the captain always leaves the field. The rule contains exceptions for situations such as the goalkeeper refusing treatment, a collision or foul, visible bleeding, suspected concussion or a serious injury that requires a substitution. The measure was prompted by complaints from Leeds United manager Daniel Farke, who accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to gain a tactical timeout.
Entities: Daniel Farke · Howard Webb · International Football Association Board (IFAB) · Premier League · Rochdale · Rochdale AFC · The Football Association (FA) · Tranmere Rovers · Tranmere Rovers FC
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] The manager must nominate the outfield player within ten seconds; if no nomination is made, the team captain is removed for the one‑minute period. (IFAB trial rules)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] No player is removed if the goalkeeper waves away medical staff, suffers a foul, collides with a player, is visibly bleeding, or has a serious injury or concussion. (IFAB trial rule)
- [● 2 SOURCES] FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina urged officials to stop players from going to the technical area during treatment stoppages. (Collina statements at FIFA tournament)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The trial will be applied in the Premier League, Women’s Super League, English Football League and National League. (IFAB/Pro Ref)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Australia’s A‑League will test a version of the trial where the captain always leaves the field. (IFAB trial variations)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Leeds United manager Daniel Farke accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of faking an injury to give Pep Guardiola a tactical pause. (Leeds United post‑match comments)
- [● 2 SOURCES] If approved, the first match to use the rule could be the Carabao Cup preliminary round between Tranmere Rovers and Rochdale on August 1. (Pro Ref/IFAB)
- [● 4 SOURCES] IFAB approved a trial that will punish teams when a goalkeeper receives on‑field medical treatment by requiring an outfield player to be removed for one minute. (IFAB)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Australia’s A‑League will test a variant where the captain always leaves the field. (multiple articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] English football authorities have agreed to trial a rule to stop goalkeeper tactical timeouts. (multiple articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Exceptions to the rule include goalkeeper injuries from collisions, fouls, visible bleeding, or serious concussion protocols. (multiple articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The first trial match will be played on 1 August 2026 between Tranmere Rovers and Rochdale in the Carabao Cup. (multiple articles)