English football is on the verge of introducing a trial measure that would effectively end the practice of goalkeepers feigning injury or requesting treatment to engineer tactical stoppages — a tactic that has drawn widespread criticism in recent seasons.

The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League, and Women's Super League have all agreed to the trial, which is pending approval from the International Football Association Board (Ifab).

How the new rule works

Under the proposed trial, when a referee grants a physio access to treat a goalkeeper, the coaching staff will have 10 seconds to nominate an outfield player to temporarily leave the pitch for one minute. If no nomination is made within that window, the captain must be the one to walk off.

The rule mirrors a principle already applied to outfield players — who must themselves leave the field for one minute when they require treatment from the physio — and extends that same logic to situations involving the goalkeeper.

Pro Ref, the refereeing body led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, spearheaded the discussions with the leagues before settling on this approach.

When does the trial begin?

Subject to Ifab clearance, the first competitive match to feature the new rule is expected to be the Carabao Cup preliminary round tie between Tranmere and Rochdale on Saturday, 1 August. The Australian A-League is also set to trial a variation of the rule, in which the captain must always be the player to leave the field.

A growing problem in the game

Goalkeeper tactical timeouts have become an increasingly prominent and controversial feature of the modern game. It has grown common for a goalkeeper to go to ground and signal for the physio, while the rest of the squad gathers in the technical area for a team talk. Once the coach has finished their instructions, the goalkeeper rises and play resumes.