Trending 
Teams at the 2026 World Cup will no longer be able to use goalkeeper injuries as an excuse for impromptu coaching huddles, FIFA’s referees chief Pierluigi Collina has announced.
The new measure targets a growing trend known as “goalkeeper tactical timeouts,” in which players gather on the sidelines during a keeper’s injury stoppage to regroup, receive instructions, or simply slow down the game.
“We had a workshop with all the coaches of all the 48 teams, and we told them that referees will be proactive,” Collina told reporters Sunday.
“They will not allow the two teams to go to the benches when a goalkeeper is lying on the ground injured.”
Under the new approach, referees will stop players from clustering around the technical area while a goalkeeper receives treatment. Instead, they must remain on the field.
“The goalkeeper has the right to be injured, but the players do not have the right to leave the field of play to have a sort of timeout with their respective coaches,” Collina said.
The issue has drawn criticism in recent years, with some managers accusing opponents of faking or exploiting injuries for tactical advantage.
Collina acknowledged that enforcing the rule will be up to referees, but stressed that players who wander toward the bench won’t automatically face punishment.
“It’s quite weird that there really is only the referee, the physio and the goalkeeper on the field of play,” he said.
“All the other players leave the pitch, and it is not good.”
How effective the change will be remains unclear, especially since the tournament will also include three-minute hydration breaks in each half, giving coaches a legitimate chance to talk to their players.
Separately, the International Football Association Board has approved a VAR adjustment allowing video reviews of certain attacking fouls that happen before the ball is in play. The World Cup kicks off June 11 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
