The highest levels of the English soccer pyramid have officially agreed to introduce a new rule to combat time-wasting goalkeepers by forcing the manager of a shot-stopper who has received medical treatment to briefly sacrifice one of their outfield players.
A crackdown on time-wasting has inspired most of the rule changes brought in by the game’s lawmakers in recent years. There were several alterations to the statues of the sport ahead of the 2026 World Cup, including a countdown on goal kicks, throw-ins and substitutions. Many of these are already set to be adopted by the Premier League for the 2026–27 season.
