English football is set to trial a measure aimed at ending the goalkeeper tactical timeout this season, after the Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women's Super League agreed on the approach, pending approval from the International Football Association Board (Ifab). Earlier this year Ifab declined to change the law and invited leagues to volunteer for trials. Pro Ref, led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, has been coordinating the discussions.

Under the trial, if a referee signals that a physio may treat a goalkeeper, the coach has 10 seconds to nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch for one minute, informing the fourth official. If no choice is made within that time, the team captain must leave the field. Exemptions apply when the keeper does not need treatment, after a collision, a foul requiring immediate attention, bleeding, or a serious injury/concussion necessitating substitution.

If Ifab grants clearance in time, the first match to feature the trial will be the Carabao Cup preliminary round tie between Tranmere and Rochdale on Saturday, 1 August. The Australian A‑League will test a variation where the captain always leaves the field. The tactic has drawn criticism, with Leeds United boss Daniel Farke accusing Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to “bend the rules”. Pierluigi Collina and pundit Danny Murphy have backed the change, which will be evaluated throughout the season for a possible global law change from 2027‑28.