Players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will no longer be allowed to leave the field to receive instructions from coaches when a goalkeeper is being treated for an injury, FIFA referees’ chief Pierluigi Collina has announced.
The move is aimed at curbing the growing use of so-called “goalkeeper tactical timeouts,” in which teams use injury stoppages to regroup, receive tactical instructions, or disrupt opponents’ momentum.
Under the new approach, referees will prevent players from gathering around a goalkeeper’s technical area while the goalkeeper is receiving treatment. Instead, players will be required to remain on the field of play.
Speaking ahead of the tournament on Sunday, Collina said FIFA had already informed coaches from all 48 participating teams that referees would enforce the measure.
“We had a workshop with all the coaches of all the 48 teams, and we told them that referees will be proactive. “They will not allow the two teams to go to the benches when a goalkeeper is lying on the ground injured.
“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,” he added.
The issue has become a talking point in recent years, with some managers accusing opponents of exploiting injury stoppages for tactical gain. In November, Leeds United manager Daniel Farke claimed that goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had used an injury stoppage to help break up play and provide his team with an opportunity to regroup.
While FIFA’s measure seeks to eliminate coaching huddles during injury breaks, it does not fully address concerns that teams may still use stoppages to slow the game or halt an opponent’s momentum.
Collina acknowledged that referees would be responsible for managing the situation, but said players who move toward the technical area would not automatically face disciplinary action.
“It’s quite weird that there really is only the referee, the physio and the goalkeeper on the field of play,” Collina said. “All the other players leave the pitch, and it is not good.”
The effectiveness of the measure remains to be seen, particularly as matches at the 2026 World Cup will also feature three-minute hydration breaks in each half, providing coaches with a separate opportunity to speak to their players.
Meanwhile, the International Football Association Board has approved a change to VAR protocol that will allow video reviews of certain attacking fouls committed before the ball is in play, marking another significant officiating adjustment ahead of the tournament.
