FIFA plans bold injury rule to stop time-wasting

 is set to shake up football with a new proposal that could force injured players to stay off the pitch for at least one minute after treatment — a move aimed at killing time-wasting and speeding up the game.

The idea will be debated by the , the body that writes football’s laws. If approved, it would become part of the global rulebook.

Currently, there is no fixed time an injured player must remain off the field. Leagues make their own rules — for example, the Premier League introduced a 30-second rule in 2023/24, while FIFA tested a tougher two-minute rule at the Arab Cup, which was later dropped after backlash from teams.

FIFA president believes a middle ground is needed, and the new one-minute rule is seen as a compromise between fairness and flow.

FIFA referees’ chief said the trial was designed to stop players from exaggerating injuries and deliberately slowing matches down.

A similar system already exists in , where players must leave the pitch if they stay down too long and medics are called.

Now, football’s lawmakers are close to writing a fixed injury timeout into the laws — a decision that could change how the game is played worldwide.