New Laws of Football 2025/26

[rugbyblue]

8 minutes ago, PAULCFC said:

That's the trouble wth VAR for me....it could be very usefull,but the way it's used now is just going overboard.I was led to believe it was for clear and obvious mistakes from the Refs,not for a players toe nail being off side! Until this is sorted out i'll keep going to non league!

I just dont want it or like it.  I could go on all night about why but ive done it to death many times over 😂.  

[ramboacdc]

These going to enforced in the championship?  

 

First week in the PL season and everyone is down to 6 men as everyone's crowded the ref. 

[Fear Of The Fox]

Idk if this the right thread to post but it seems La Liga is introducing manager/coach challenges the upcoming season. 

In a few years they've managed to make football the biggest joke of a sport. Netball has serious competition now. 

Edited 28 July 2025 by Fear Of The Fox

[davieG]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clyjxd53zkpo

 

 

Trial looks to end goalkeeper tactical timeouts
 

By
Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent
Published
27 July 2026, 14:22 BST

English football will implement a trial to try to eradicate the goalkeeper tactical timeout this season.

The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women's Super League have agreed on the measure, with permission granted by the International Football Association Board (Ifab).

Pro Ref, led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, had been in discussions with the leagues to determine how to tackle the issue. It settled on a team having to remove an outfield player from the pitch.

If a referee signals that the physio can come on to treat a goalkeeper, that team's coach will have 10 seconds to nominate another player to leave the pitch for one minute after play has restarted, telling the fourth official of their choice.

If no player has been selected within 10 seconds, the captain must leave the field.

 

The first game to feature the trial will be the Carabao Cup preliminary round tie between Tranmere and Rochdale on Saturday.

BBC Sport understands that the Australian A-League will trial a variation with the captain always having to leave the field.

The tactic of gaining a timeout as the keeper is treated has become increasingly common and controversial in recent seasons.

It has not been uncommon for the goalkeeper to sit on the turf and signal for the physio, with all the other players rushing to the technical area for a team talk. As soon as the coach has delivered their instructions, the keeper gets up to play on.

Goalkeeper treatment has also been used to disrupt the opposition's momentum when they are on top.

In November, Leeds United boss Daniel Farke accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" and break up play.

Ifab, meanwhile, has issued a clarification to the mistaken identity rule after Fifa used it to book two players for simulation at the World Cup.

Paraguay's Miguel Almiron and Breel Embolo of Switzerland both received bookings. Embolo was already on a caution meaning he was sent off in the quarter-final defeat by Argentina.

Ifab says that while it was well received and will be included in the detailed review of the VAR protocol, it "may not be used as such until that review is concluded".

Measure intended to be proactive as a deterrent

 

At Ifab's AGM in February, head of referees Pierluigi Collina said finding a solution to stop the goalkeeper tactical timeout was a priority.

At the 2026 World Cup, Collina told his officials to prevent players from going to the technical area on all stoppages.

The effectiveness of the measure is open to debate, as the three-minute hydration breaks in each half created a natural opportunity for a team talk.

In its own discussions, English football felt that merely stopping players going to the technical area would not deter coaches from using goalkeepers to break up play.

English football chose this trial as it follows the logic applied to outfield players, who must themselves leave the field for one minute if the physio comes on.

It is intended to be proactive as a deterrent rather than reactive to a team talk as it happens.

Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy suggested last season that lawmakers could act to close the loophole in this exact way.

"I think they can change it really quickly," Murphy said. "If a keeper goes down injured, instead of him having to go off, one of the outfield players should go off then it's fair all round.

"It's a little change that makes a world of difference."

Officials will not prevent players from visiting the touchline as an injury is treated but it is hoped the prospect of playing with 10 players for a minute will act as an adequate disincentive.

This is especially the case in the final minutes of games, when teams trying to hold on to a result would use the goalkeeper to kill momentum. Now they would have to play with 10 players.

 

There are a few exemptions when a team-mate will not have to go off.

Where a goalkeeper says they do not need the physio and they have not caused play to stop

The goalkeeper and an outfield player have collided

If a goalkeeper is fouled and needs immediate treatment

If a goalkeeper is bleeding

If there is a serious injury (has to be substituted) or concussion.

If the goalkeeper is substituted, the substitution is not delayed.

There have been some concerns that a requirement to leave the field for one minute could lead to players, both goalkeepers and outfield, attempting to play on with an injury.

The results of the trials will be assessed by Ifab at its meetings throughout the seasons, and this could lead to a permanent law change globally from 2027-28.

Related 

 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

11 minutes ago, davieG said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clyjxd53zkpo

 

 

Trial looks to end goalkeeper tactical timeouts
 

By
Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent
Published
27 July 2026, 14:22 BST

English football will implement a trial to try to eradicate the goalkeeper tactical timeout this season.

The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women's Super League have agreed on the measure, with permission granted by the International Football Association Board (Ifab).

Pro Ref, led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, had been in discussions with the leagues to determine how to tackle the issue. It settled on a team having to remove an outfield player from the pitch.

If a referee signals that the physio can come on to treat a goalkeeper, that team's coach will have 10 seconds to nominate another player to leave the pitch for one minute after play has restarted, telling the fourth official of their choice.

If no player has been selected within 10 seconds, the captain must leave the field.

 

The first game to feature the trial will be the Carabao Cup preliminary round tie between Tranmere and Rochdale on Saturday.

BBC Sport understands that the Australian A-League will trial a variation with the captain always having to leave the field.

The tactic of gaining a timeout as the keeper is treated has become increasingly common and controversial in recent seasons.

It has not been uncommon for the goalkeeper to sit on the turf and signal for the physio, with all the other players rushing to the technical area for a team talk. As soon as the coach has delivered their instructions, the keeper gets up to play on.

Goalkeeper treatment has also been used to disrupt the opposition's momentum when they are on top.

In November, Leeds United boss Daniel Farke accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to "bend the rules" and break up play.

Ifab, meanwhile, has issued a clarification to the mistaken identity rule after Fifa used it to book two players for simulation at the World Cup.

Paraguay's Miguel Almiron and Breel Embolo of Switzerland both received bookings. Embolo was already on a caution meaning he was sent off in the quarter-final defeat by Argentina.

Ifab says that while it was well received and will be included in the detailed review of the VAR protocol, it "may not be used as such until that review is concluded".

Measure intended to be proactive as a deterrent

 

At Ifab's AGM in February, head of referees Pierluigi Collina said finding a solution to stop the goalkeeper tactical timeout was a priority.

At the 2026 World Cup, Collina told his officials to prevent players from going to the technical area on all stoppages.

The effectiveness of the measure is open to debate, as the three-minute hydration breaks in each half created a natural opportunity for a team talk.

In its own discussions, English football felt that merely stopping players going to the technical area would not deter coaches from using goalkeepers to break up play.

English football chose this trial as it follows the logic applied to outfield players, who must themselves leave the field for one minute if the physio comes on.

It is intended to be proactive as a deterrent rather than reactive to a team talk as it happens.

Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy suggested last season that lawmakers could act to close the loophole in this exact way.

"I think they can change it really quickly," Murphy said. "If a keeper goes down injured, instead of him having to go off, one of the outfield players should go off then it's fair all round.

"It's a little change that makes a world of difference."

Officials will not prevent players from visiting the touchline as an injury is treated but it is hoped the prospect of playing with 10 players for a minute will act as an adequate disincentive.

This is especially the case in the final minutes of games, when teams trying to hold on to a result would use the goalkeeper to kill momentum. Now they would have to play with 10 players.

 

There are a few exemptions when a team-mate will not have to go off.

Where a goalkeeper says they do not need the physio and they have not caused play to stop

The goalkeeper and an outfield player have collided

If a goalkeeper is fouled and needs immediate treatment

If a goalkeeper is bleeding

If there is a serious injury (has to be substituted) or concussion.

If the goalkeeper is substituted, the substitution is not delayed.

There have been some concerns that a requirement to leave the field for one minute could lead to players, both goalkeepers and outfield, attempting to play on with an injury.

The results of the trials will be assessed by Ifab at its meetings throughout the seasons, and this could lead to a permanent law change globally from 2027-28.

Related 

 

Rate it tbh.

[AyewJoking]

so the team that goes down to 10 men for 60 seconds isnt going to time waste within that period?

[Super_horns]

Good idea but probably last 3 weeks before one of the big boys kick off and the rule gets scrapped or forgotten about. 

[Jamie Vard-on]

I found the new rules in the World Cup totally baffling at times and inconsistent.

[PhillippaT]

2 hours ago, Jamie Vard-on said:

I found the new rules in the World Cup totally baffling at times and inconsistent.

It had rules? I just thought the ref's were making it up as they went, depending on which teams were playing  /s 

[purpleronnie]

12 hours ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Rate it tbh.

Prefer the australian method where the captain goes off, ridiculous that the coach has 10 seconds to nominate a player, what does the forth official do? run up to the coach immediately and ask 'ok who's your nominated player?' whilst starting his stopwatch?,...oh sorry that was 10.03 seconds. Its typically the english way to make things more complicated.

[davieG]

Sounds like a dog's dinner of a solution.

 

Why not just add the time on and ban players of both sides talking to their coaches. 

 

Better still have the refs watch or whoever's keeping time on display next to the match clock. I'm sure most PL & EFL grounds have match clocks.

[jammie82uk]

14 hours ago, davieG said:

There are a few exemptions when a team-mate will not have to go off.

Where a goalkeeper says they do not need the physio and they have not caused play to stop

The goalkeeper and an outfield player have collided

Can see keepers like Emi Martinez & Jordan Pickford loving this exemption, deliberately running into players to break up play 

[davieG]

1 minute ago, jammie82uk said:

Can see keepers like Emi Martinez & Jordan Pickford loving this exemption, deliberately running into players to break up play 

When you have to put in so many subjective exemptions you know it's not going to work and will create more problems than it solves.

[Super_horns]

1 hour ago, jammie82uk said:

Can see keepers like Emi Martinez & Jordan Pickford loving this exemption, deliberately running into players to break up play 

As they said on Talksport teams will quickly think of ideas to get around the situation like make the keeper captain or someone else go down too!

[Bablemikey]

I suspect we'll see a lot of goalkeepers being the nominated captain.

[davieG]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cm2gyzme6gno

 

Only use VAR when error blatant - referee chiefs

VAR was first used at a World Cup in 2018 and introduced in the Premier League for the 2019-20 season

ByElizabeth Botcherby
BBC Sport journalist

Video assistant referees should only be used to change "blatantly incorrect" decisions and clear missed incidents, say European refereeing officials.

Chief refereeing officers from all 55 European national football associations met last week with Uefa refereeing officials and a representative from the International Football Association Board (Ifab) to address recent changes to the game's laws.

Attendees said "lengthy, microscoping reviews" indicate VAR has gone beyond its original scope.

 

When VAR was added to the laws of the game in 2018 by football's rulemakers Ifab, its "philosophy" was "minimum interference - maximum benefit", with the intention of reducing "unfairness caused by clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents" relating to goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity.

Uefa said that at its recent meeting that refereeing bosses agreed a return to those original aims is needed.

"It was reiterated that, in accordance with protocol, VAR must only intervene in situations of 'clear and obvious' error, ie. when a referee decision is blatantly incorrect or when the referee has missed a clear incident," Uefa said in a statement.

"VAR is not meant to re-referee the game, it is an essential support to the referees, who must remain at the centre of all decision-making.

"Lengthy, microscoping reviews are often a symptom revealing that the decision on the field was not clearly and obviously incorrect, and should therefore be limited."

Officials acknowledged recent clarification from Ifab around the correct interpretation of the "mistaken identity" rule introduced before this summer's World Cup, which says that if a player is booked or sent off but the foul was committed by the opposition team the decision can be changed.

Switzerland's Breel Embolo was the first player to be sent off as a result of the new law following a controversial second yellow card for simulation against Argentina. Leandro Parades originally received a yellow card for his challenge before VAR intervened.

Ifab clarified that VAR can only review cautions to "identify the player who committed the offence that was penalised, not to review or alter the offence".

There was also "unanimous support" for recent rule changes designed to reduce unnecessary delays, including time limits on goal-kicks, throw-ins and substitutions, and new regulations around on-field injuries and goalkeeper tactical timeouts.

Is VAR being used differently at the World Cup vs the Premier League?

Analysis
By
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
This statement of intent sounds positive.

We all know what a 'clear and obvious error' is right? Luis Diaz's offside goal that wasn't for Liverpool in 2023 – a decision VAR should definitely have overturned. It wasn't, but that was down to human error not protocol.

The problem is 'clear and obvious' is a subjective phrase.

What one manager might think was the worst mistake ever, his counterpart in the other dugout might feel was a fair call.

There has been a lot of debate around the amount of time taken to make decisions and if the time period passes a certain threshold, there should be no change.

In the cold light of day, that seems sensible. But what if it is three decisions – starting with an offside, then a potential handball, before finally a foul – that might be certain. If the potential offside or handball could rule out the foul, they have to be looked at as well surely?

It feels as though Ifab is trying to improve an imperfect situation and it should be applauded for that.

Just don't expect it to end – or even minimise – the arguments around the merits of individual decisions.

 

[Corky]

Just tell the players not to go for a drink/ chat with the manager. This is sledgehammer cracking a nut territory.