By Stephen Simon
English football will operate under a series of significant changes to the Laws of the Game in the 2026/27 season, with the measures designed largely to reduce time-wasting, improve the tempo of matches and prevent teams from using routine stoppages for tactical advantage.
The changes, approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), came into effect on July 1, 2026 and will be implemented in the Premier League and other English competitions. The Premier League has also issued its own refereeing points of emphasis for the new season.
One of the most noticeable changes will affect throw-ins and goal-kicks. Referees will be able to initiate a visible five-second countdown when they determine that a team is deliberately delaying either restart.
If the throw-in is not taken before the countdown expires, possession will be awarded to the opposing team from the same position. For a delayed goal-kick, the opposing team will instead be awarded a corner kick from the appropriate side of the pitch.
The rule is aimed specifically at deliberate delays rather than ordinary preparation for a restart. Referees can begin the countdown where a player is slowly retrieving the ball, taking too long to assume the correct position or deliberately placing the ball incorrectly.
Substitutions will also become more tightly controlled. Once a substitution has been signalled, the player leaving the pitch will have 10 seconds to exit, normally through the nearest point on the touchline or goal line.
If the player exceeds the time limit, the substitute will not be allowed to enter immediately. The substitute can only enter at the first stoppage after one minute of playing time has elapsed, temporarily leaving the team with one fewer player. Referees can make exceptions where an injury or safety issue prevents the departing player from leaving within the allotted time.
Injury stoppages will similarly attract a new restriction. An outfield player whose injury causes the referee to stop the match, or who receives on-field assessment or treatment, will generally have to leave the field and remain off for one minute after play resumes.
The measure is intended to prevent players from using minor injuries to interrupt the rhythm of matches, although exemptions remain for specific situations recognised under the Laws of the Game.
Goalkeeper injuries are receiving particular attention in English football. Rather than being a universal permanent change to the Laws, England has received approval for a 2026/27 trial under which an outfield player from the goalkeeper’s team must leave the pitch for one minute when play is stopped because of a goalkeeper injury, subject to the conditions of the trial.
The measure is aimed at what the Premier League describes as goalkeeper “tactical timeouts”, in which an apparent injury can provide an opportunity for coaches to communicate with players while the match is stopped. The trial will cover the men’s and women’s professional game in England.
The issue has attracted considerable attention in the Premier League. A league survey found that 73 per cent of respondents considered goalkeeper time-wasting a problem, while 85 per cent regarded goalkeeper tactical timeouts as an issue.
VAR will also receive some additional powers, although the changes are narrower than a general expansion of video review. VAR officials can now assist where a player has been sent off following a clearly incorrect second yellow card.
The protocol also allows VAR intervention in cases of mistaken identity where the wrong player has been cautioned or sent off. In addition, competitions have the option of allowing VAR to review a clearly incorrect corner-kick decision, provided the review can be completed immediately without delaying the restart.
The changes build on an earlier measure concerning goalkeepers. Since the 2025/26 season, goalkeepers have been subject to an eight-second limit for controlling the ball with their hands or arms, with referees using a visible five-second countdown. The new measures extend the same anti-time-wasting principle to other areas of the game.
The overall objective is to protect playing time and make matches less vulnerable to deliberate disruption. IFAB said the changes were developed in response to calls from stakeholders across football for practical measures capable of preserving the flow and tempo of matches.
For players and coaches, however, the changes will require a significant adjustment in behaviour. Tactics that previously allowed teams to consume several seconds at throw-ins, goal-kicks, substitutions and injury stoppages could now carry an immediate competitive cost.
For referees, the challenge will be applying the new measures consistently without penalising players for genuine delays caused by injury, safety concerns or circumstances beyond their control.
The 2026/27 season will therefore provide an early test of whether the new approach can deliver what IFAB and English football are seeking: fewer unnecessary interruptions, quicker restarts and more effective playing time without fundamentally changing the character of the game.
