Premier League Will Punish Goalkeepers Who Pretend to Be Injured
JAKARTA - The new season of the English League (Premier League) will test the punishment against goalkeepers who seem to pretend to be injured to disrupt the course of the match or give time for the coach to instruct the players.
The English Football Association (FA) said the move had been approved by a panel of global football regulators.
"English football has received approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to introduce a new goalkeeper injury trial for the 2026/2027 season as part of an ongoing commitment to keeping the pace and flow of the game," the FA said.
The trial, jointly supported by Pro Ref (PGMOL), the FA, Premier League, English Football League (EFL), Women's Super League (WSL), and the English National League, will be implemented across all men's and women's professional matches in England and is designed to address situations where goalkeeper injuries have been used to disrupt momentum, slow the game, or create opportunities for tactical instruction.
The opening match of the English League season will bring together Arsenal who started the title defense at home against the promoted team Coventry on August 21, 2026.
In the trial, if the match is stopped due to a goalkeeper injury, the FA said the head coach will be asked to appoint a field player to immediately leave the field. The appointed player is required to remain outside the field for at least one minute after the resumption of the game.
If the coach fails to name a player within 10 seconds after the referee signals that the goalkeeper can receive medical treatment on the field, the team captain will automatically become the chosen player.
However, the rule does not apply in a number of conditions, including collisions and bleeding. In detail, the FA said the trial would operate with a number of exceptions, including where a free kick is awarded for a foul against the goalkeeper and they immediately require treatment, the goalkeeper and outfield player collide and require attention, or the goalkeeper bleeds.
"The goal is to ensure that the actual injured continue to receive appropriate medical attention while eliminating the potential sports benefits associated with the termination of the match," the joint statement read.
The BBC said the first match to implement this trial was the English League Cup (Carabao Cup) match between Tranmere and Rochdale.
Last season, an eight-second rule for goalkeepers was introduced, which penalizes goalkeepers for holding the ball for that time by giving a corner kick to the opposing team.
The rule change was deemed a success and this season the five-second countdown will be used by match officials if players delay taking a throw-in or goal kick.
Players will also be given 10 seconds to leave the field when substituted. This will come into effect from the start of the Carabao Cup on August 1, 2026.