ENGLISH FOOTBALL TO TRIAL LAW AGAINST GOALKEEPER TACTICAL TIMEOUTS

English football is set to trial a new law designed to prevent goalkeepers from feigning injury to force tactical timeouts, pending approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women's Super League have agreed on the measure. If IFAB grants clearance, the first match to feature the trial will be the Carabao Cup preliminary round tie between Tranmere and Rochdale on Saturday, 1 August. Pro Ref, led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, has been involved in discussions with the leagues to develop the approach.

Under the new law, when a referee signals that a physio can enter the field to treat a goalkeeper, the team's manager must nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch for one minute. If the manager does not select a player within 10 seconds, the team's captain will automatically be removed. This differs from current rules, where goalkeepers can receive treatment on the pitch without their team losing a player, whilst outfield players must wait on the sidelines until the referee allows them to return. The tactic has become increasingly common in recent seasons, with keepers using treatment stoppages to allow players to gather at the technical area for team instructions and to disrupt opposition momentum.

IFAB declined to change the law earlier this year but invited leagues to volunteer for trials. In November, Leeds United manager Daniel Farke accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" during a match at the Etihad Stadium. BBC Sport understands that the Australian A-League will trial a variation in which the captain must always leave the field, rather than giving managers a choice of which player departs.