LONDON (AP) 鈥� The new season is set to trial a crackdown on goalkeepers who appear to feign injury in order to disturb the flow of the game or give time for coaches to instruct players.
on Monday said the move has been approved by global soccer鈥檚 rulemaking panel.
鈥淓nglish football has received approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to introduce a new goalkeeper injury trial for the 2026-27 season as part of its ongoing commitment to maintaining the pace and flow of matches,鈥� it said.
The trial 鈥渃hampioned collectively鈥� by Pro Ref, the FA, Premier League, English Football League, Women’s Super League Football and the National League, it said, 鈥渨ill be implemented across the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 professional game in England and is designed to address occasions where goalkeeper injuries have been used to disrupt momentum, slow the game down or create opportunities for tactical instruction.鈥�
The opening game of the Premier League season will see at home against on Aug. 21.
Count to 10
Under the trial, if a game is stopped because of a goalkeeper injury, the FA said the head coach 鈥渨ill be required to nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch immediately. The nominated player is required to remain off the field for a minimum of one minute after the restart of play.鈥�
Domestic media reports said if the coach fails to nominate a player within 10 seconds of the referee indicating the goalkeeper can receive medical treatment on the field, the captain of the goalkeeper’s team will automatically be the chosen player.
Exceptions include collisions and bleeding
The FA said the trial 鈥渨ill operate with a number of exceptions, including where a free kick is awarded for a foul on the goalkeeper and they immediately require treatment, the goalkeeper and an outfield player have collided and need attention, or the goalkeeper is bleeding.鈥�
The BBC said the first game to include the trial will be the English League Cup match between Tranmere and Rochdale on Saturday.
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