Tag: IFAB

Guardiola unmoved as Donnarumma racks up bookings amid law-change debate

Gianluigi Donnarumma
December 2025

City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma already has four yellow cards in ten league matches, mostly for dissent and time wasting, placing him on the brink of a suspension and intensifying criticism over perceived tactical “injury” stoppages used to create unofficial timeouts. Guardiola says the 26 year old is “adult enough” to manage his behaviour, while Daniel Farke’s complaints about a stoppage in City’s win over Leeds have fed into IFAB talks on goalkeeper treatment, including proposals to remove an outfield player or block touchline instructions during such breaks.

Premier League set for clampdown on ‘timeout’ keeper injuries

IFAB lawmakers
December 2025

Lawmakers are exploring changes to stop goalkeepers going down for treatment to create de-facto timeouts and tactical huddles, closing a loophole that has grown since outfield players were forced to leave the pitch briefly after physio interventions. Proposals include forcing a nominated outfield player to leave the field for 30 seconds whenever a goalkeeper receives treatment, or banning players from approaching the touchline during such stoppages, with the “outfield player off” option gathering support after Farke’s criticism of Manchester City’s use of the tactic.

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