Goalkeeper tactical timeouts to be banned at World Cup
Summary
Fifa will ban players from leaving the field to talk to coaches during goalkeeper injuries at the 2026 World Cup to stop delays and unfair timeouts. The video assistant referee (VAR) system will also be allowed to review fouls that happen before the ball is in play to prevent unfair goals.Key Facts
- Players will no longer be allowed to leave the field to speak with coaches when a goalkeeper is injured.
- This rule aims to stop teams from using fake goalkeeper injuries to pause the game and give instructions.
- The National Women’s Soccer League in the U.S. has already introduced a similar rule for goalkeeper injuries.
- Referees will actively enforce this ban but will not give yellow cards to players who try to leave the field.
- There will still be official hydration breaks during each half of the game for coaches to talk to players.
- The VAR system's rules were changed to allow reviews of fouls that happen before the ball is kicked in set-piece situations like corners.
- The rule changes were approved by the International Football Association Board (Ifab).
- Fifa referees chief Pierluigi Collina led the changes to improve fairness and reduce game interruptions.
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