An outfield players will be withdrawn for 60 seconds if a game is stopped for a goalkeeper injury in the EFL this season, as part of a trial to stamp out tactical time-outs.
The sight of a goalkeeper calling on the physios, allowing their team-mates to head to the dugout for tactical advice, has become increasingly frequent in recent seasons.
From the start of 2026/27, the EFL have confirmed that managers "will be required to nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch immediately" in such circumstances, as they aim to disincentivise the move.
Demanding injured players remain off the field for at least a minute was a success during the FIFA World Cup this summer, with - anecdotally - less treatment demanded from physios.
The EFL hope adopting the same principle with goalkeeper injuries will prevent teams from deliberately stopping the game and regrouping with their coaching staff.
The trial will operate with exceptions, including where a free-kick is awarded for a foul on the goalkeeper and they immediately require treatment, when a goalkeeper and outfield player collide, or when a goalkeeper is bleeding.
There are a number of other changes to the way games will be refereed this season, including:
Clock ticking on subs
Players being substituted will be expected to leave the field within 10 seconds of it being signalled, to prevent time-wasting.
If a player fails to leave the field inside 10 seconds, the substitution cannot be cancelled but the player coming on will be prevented from entering the field for one minute - essentially seeing teams go down to 10 men for 60 seconds.
Goal kick overturns
We didn't see much of it, but a new rule last season was that goalkeepers who wasted more than eight seconds waiting to release the ball from their hands would see a corner awarded to the opposition.
From this season, any goal kick lasting more than five seconds from when the referee chooses to start counting down will suffer the same fate.
The same length of time-wasting from throw-ins will see throws awarded the other way.
Time-keeping
The EFL say a "more accurate approach" to calculating added time will be implemented this season.
When a goal is scored, injury time will begin to be added after 30 seconds. So if there are 90 seconds between a goal being scored and kick-off, an additional 60 seconds should be added.
For substitutions, injuries, red cards and penalties, the league have said the exact time between the game stopping and restarting will be added.
Delayed restarts and time-wasting are a little more subjective, with officials allowed to judge the situation "based on match events".
The 60-second rule for outfielders
In addition to the goalkeeper trial, the 60-second rule for outfield injuries will continue.
If a player injury forces a referee to stop the game, medical staff will be immediately waved on and the player must leave the field for 60 seconds - even if the staff refuse to enter the field.
The only exceptions will be where a yellow or red card are issued for a foul on the injured player, ensuring genuine injuries are treated appropriately.
Contact with goalkeepers
The EFL continue to differentiate between "being in the way of an opponent" and "moving into the way of an opponent".
The former will be considered a normal football contact and be permitted as part of a "high threshold to contact involving goalkeepers".
Referees will intervene when there is a clear action to interfere with a keeper's arms, a clear action to impede with no intention of challenging for the ball, or a contact that directly impacts the goalkeeper's ability to play or challenge for the ball.
Hair-pulling
Pulling a player's hair provoked some of the bigger discussions last season, particularly in the Premier League, and it appears the threshold for a red-card offence has been lowered a little.
A player can still be sent off for excessive force and/or brutality, but a clear action without excessive force will now only be a yellow card for unsporting behaviour.
Accidental or negligible contact with an opponent's hair is not an offence.
"I felt my hair get pulled."
Dominic Calvert-Lewin gives his point of view of the incident that saw Lisandro Martinez get sent off 🟥 pic.twitter.com/Slc7HojHQO— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 13, 2026
Grappling in the box
A major talking point at the highest level, particularly with VAR around, EFL officials will continue to identify "where there is a clear holding action which either has a material impact on an opponent's ability to play or challenge for the ball, or involves an obvious non-footballing action".
Consideration will be given to use of both arms to hold, clear shirt pulling, players focusing on the opponent rather than the ball, actions that prevent an opponent competing fairly and "non-footballing" holding actions.
Mutual holding will not automatically be penalised.
High threshold
EFL referees will aim to maintain a "high threshold" for penalising contact, "as the tempo and physicality of the game continues to evolve".
The focus, they say, remains on recognising that not every contact is a foul and not every foul warrants a yellow card.
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