Referees’ chief confirms World Cup curb on goalkeeper stoppage team talks | OneFootball

World Cup referees will clamp down on teams using goalkeeper injuries as impromptu timeouts, according to the BBC, a move Leeds United will appreciate after last season.

The Whites were incensed by incidents ranging from Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma in November to April’s FA Cup semi-final, when Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez went down at Wembley. Enzo Fernandez reminded his keeper of the problem, assistant Calum McFarlane huddled players and Ethan Ampadu tried to gatecrash the talk.

In England, officials must stop play if a goalkeeper is hurt and the keeper cannot be sent to the sidelines, leaving referees powerless. For this summer’s tournament, Pierluigi Collina said referees will stop players heading to the benches during such pauses.

Collina set out that goalkeepers can be treated on the pitch but outfield players will be kept on the field, removing on-field coaching breaks. Some doubt the effect given scheduled water breaks, yet Leeds will welcome attempts to curb goalkeeper timeouts. The Premier League has made no similar announcement, though reports this season suggested the issue is under review.

Proposing a further deterrent, former referee Dermot Gallagher told Sky Sports’ Ref Watch that one league will trial forcing a team to remove an outfield player for one minute when a goalkeeper goes down.

Source: yorkshireevenpost.co.uk