World Cup bans goalkeeper tactical timeouts, adds five rule changes

Goalkeepers feigning injury to enable tactical timeouts will be banned at the World Cup. The ban is part of six rule changes aimed at curbing time‑wasting.

The prohibited practice allowed a goalkeeper to go down ‘injured’, prompting teammates to sprint to the touchline for coach instructions. Such stoppages previously gave teams a chance to receive tactical advice without using a formal substitution.

The new regulation will apply to all matches in the FIFA World Cup tournament. Coaches will no longer be permitted to deliver tactical guidance from the touchline during these incidents.

Five further rule changes will be introduced to prevent deliberate delays. All six measures target the reduction of time‑wasting tactics throughout the competition.