Players who receive treatment for an injury could be forced to stay off the field for one minute under proposals from Fifa. At present there is no stipulation in the laws over how long injured players have to remain on the sidelines. Leagues have the right to set their own guidelines, with the Premier League adopting a 30-second rule since the 2023-24 season. Fifa held its own trials at the Arab Cup in December which required a player to stay off the field for two minutes. Fifa referees' chief Pierluigi Collina says the two-minute rule is intended to reduce time-wasting and improve the flow of the game.

Source: BBC February 23, 2026 14:19 UTC