Premier League to crack down on goalkeepers 'feigning injury'

Time-wasting in football is hardly a new phenomenon and guardians of the game have, over the years, tried their best to curb the practice by enacting new rules.

One of the most common tactics employed by players is feigning injury to disrupt play and ensure the clock ticks down especially if their team is in front during a game.

At the recently-concluded Fifa World Cup, a 10-second limit for substitutions, a 5-second countdown for throw-ins and goal kicks, and a 1-minute cooling-off period for injured players receiving treatment were among the slew of new rules implemented to maintain the flow of the game.

And now, the new Premier League 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.

The English Football Association on Monday said the move has been approved by global football's rulemaking panel.

"English 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," it said.

The trial "championed collectively" by Pro Ref, the FA, Premier League, English Football League, Women's Super League Football and the National League, it said, "will be implemented across the men's and women's 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."

The opening game of the Premier League season will see Arsenal begin their title defence at home against newly-promoted Coventry on August 21.

Under the trial, if a game is stopped because of a goalkeeper injury, the FA said the head coach "will 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."

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.

The FA said the trial "will 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."

The BBC said the first game to include the trial will be the English League Cup match between Tranmere and Rochdale this Saturday.