FIFA has put forward a proposal that would require players who receive medical treatment on the field to remain off the pitch for at least one minute. The move is part of broader efforts to curb time-wasting and improve the overall flow of matches.
According to BBC Sport, the proposal will be discussed at the annual general meeting of the International Football Association Board, the organisation responsible for the Laws of the Game. If approved, the rule will be added to football’s global rulebook.
Currently, the Laws of the Game do not state a compulsory time period for injured players to stay off the pitch after treatment, leaving domestic leagues free to set their own guidelines.
For example, the Premier League introduced a 30-second off-field rule at the start of the 2023–24 season. FIFA also tested a stricter two-minute rule during the Arab Cup in December, but the idea met resistance amid concerns it could unfairly disadvantage teams.
FIFA’s referees’ chief, Pierluigi Collina, explained that the trial aimed to discourage players from exaggerating injuries and disrupting the tempo of matches.
A comparable system is already used in Major League Soccer, where players must temporarily leave the pitch if they stay down for more than 15 seconds and medical staff are called.
IFAB members agreed in January that a fixed timeframe should be written into the laws, although discussions continued over the exact duration. The proposed one-minute rule is viewed as a middle ground between ensuring fairness and speeding up the game.
