Manchester United’s Belgian goalkeeper #31 Senne Lammens gestures to teammates during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, north west England on February 23, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
By Adegboyega Adeleye
English football is set to try a new rule aimed at stopping goalkeepers from deliberately using injury stoppages as tactical timeouts during matches, with teams potentially forced to play with 10 men for one minute if a goalkeeper receives treatment, the BBC Sport reports.
The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women’s Super League have agreed to the trial, subject to approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
Under the proposed measure, when a referee allows a goalkeeper to receive treatment from a physiotherapist after play has been stopped, the coach will have 10 seconds to nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch for one minute.
