The refereeing changes that teams and supporters can expect to see when the 2026/27 campaign starts

EFL clubs are starting their 2026/27 campaigns with the opening round of Carabao Cup fixtures.

The new season also heralds changes to the footballing rulebook and the way that officials oversee fixtures.

Addressing the changes, the EFL says ‘they are designed to maintain the pace and flow of the game, apply a high threshold for penalising challenges, and take a robust approach to participant behaviour.’

They also include new measures to address tactical goalkeeper injuries and delays when players are substituted.

A summary of the changes is as follows:

Substitutions

Players being replaced will be expected to leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution signal being given. If a player exceeds the 10-second limit, the substitution cannot be cancelled and the substitute cannot be changed - but will only be permitted to enter at the first stoppage after one minute has elapsed.

Exceptions may apply in cases involving injury, safety, security or safeguarding considerations.

Goalkeeper injury trial

This is designed to address occasions where non-contact goalkeeper injuries can disrupt momentum, slow the game down or create opportunities for tactical instruction.

If the game is stopped or restart delayed for a goalkeeper injury, the manager / head coach will be required to nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch immediately. The nominated player is required to remain off the field for a minimum of one minute after the restart of play.

The trial will operate with a number of exceptions, including where a free-kick is awarded for a foul on the goalkeeper and they immediately require treatment, the goalkeeper and an outfield player have collided and need attention, or the goalkeeper is bleeding.

Maintaining pace and flow of the game

Officials will focus on maintaining the pace, flow and integrity of matches by reducing unnecessary delays and minimising disruption tactics.

Officials will be supported in applying consistent approaches to restarts, substitutions and injury management, while ensuring additional time is calculated accurately and fairly.

Goal kicks and throw-ins

A five-second countdown will be available where players unnecessarily delay the taking of a throw-in or goal kick. Referees will determine when the countdown begins.

Circumstances when the countdown can begin include, but is not limited to, situations where a player causes delay by: slowly retrieving the ball; taking up an incorrect position at a throw-in; placing the ball in an incorrect position at a goal kick.

Players will not be penalised if they are clearly in the process of taking the restart as the countdown reaches its conclusion.

For throw-ins, if an unfair delay continues after the countdown, possession will be awarded to the opposing team.

For goal kicks, the consequence will be a corner kick awarded to the opposition, and yellow cards are only expected where excessive delay continues after the restart has been reversed.

Goalkeeper eight-second rule

Once a goalkeeper has control of the ball, the referee will determine when the count begins and manage the process through a ‘clear control, count and consequence’ approach. If the goalkeeper exceeds the permitted time, a corner kick will be awarded to the opposition.

Calculating additional time

Match officials will continue to apply a more accurate approach to additional time calculations, ensuring that major stoppages are reflected appropriately.

When a goal is scored, the added time clock starts after 30 seconds.

With substitutions and injuries, it will be the exact time from when play is stopped until the restart.

Added time for penalties covers the exact time from award to restart.

In the event of a red card, it will be the exact time from the card being shown to the restart.

As for the delaying of restarts or time wasting, that will be the referee’s allowance based on match events.

Injury process

Where play is already stopped and a player requests treatment, they will be assessed before leaving the field and remain on the touchline for a minimum of one minute following the restart of play.

If the referee stops the game for a suspected injury, medical staff will be called onto the field to assess the player after which the player must leave the field of play for a minimum of one minute following the re-start. Even if the medical staff refuse/decline to enter the field, the player must still leave.

Exceptions include circumstances where a yellow or red card is issued to an opponent for the offence resulting in the injury, in which case the injured player can remain on the field.

If a player chooses to leave the field of play with the referee’s permission, without medical staff being summoned onto the field and without causing delay, they are not required to remain off the field for one minute.

Challenges on goalkeepers

Officials will continue to apply a high threshold to contact involving goalkeepers.

Referees will intervene when there is: a clear action to interfere with a goalkeeper's arms; a clear action to impede the goalkeeper with no intention of challenging for the ball; contact that directly impacts the goalkeeper's ability to play or challenge for the ball.

Hairpulling

A clear and deliberate action involving excessive force and/or brutality will result in a red card for violent conduct.

A clear action without excessive force will result in a yellow card for unsporting behaviour.

Negligible, accidental or inadvertent contact with an opponent’s hair is not usually an offence.

Simulation

A caution for unsporting behaviour is expected where a player attempts to deceive the referee by simulating a foul challenge or feigning injury.

Indicators of simulation include: clearly no contact by the opponent; a player clearly instigating contact; obvious exaggeration of minimal contact; clearly feigning injury; clearly embellishing contact in an attempt to influence a disciplinary outcome.

High threshold

The focus remains on recognising that not every contact is a foul and not every foul warrants a yellow card, while continuing to protect player safety.

Officials will assess the degree of contact, the consequence of that contact and the actions of both the defender and attacker when making decisions.

Handball

Not every touch of a player's hand or arm with the ball constitutes an offence, referees will assess arm position in relation to body movement and the overall context of the actions.

Factors indicating a handball offence may include: deliberate movement of the arm towards the ball; clear additional arm movement towards the ball after normal contact between arm and ball; an arm position that makes the body unnaturally bigger in an unjustifiable way.

Mitigating factors include: justifiable position or action; supporting arm when a player falls to the ground; ball played onto a player's own arm; deflection from the same player when the ball takes a clear trajectory change before hitting the arm; ball played by a teammate; proximity to the ball when struck.

Holding

Officials will look to identify offences where there is clear holding action which either has a material impact on an opponent's ability to play or challenge for the ball, or involves an obvious non-footballing action.

Particular consideration will be given to: use of both arms to hold; clear sustained shirt pulling; players focusing solely on their opponent rather than the ball; actions that clearly prevent an opponent from competing fairly; non-footballing holding actions.

Mutual holding and non-impactful contact will not automatically be penalised.

Participant behaviour

Match officials will continue to be empowered by the game to take a robust approach to unacceptable behaviour from players and technical area occupants.

Referees and captains are encouraged to use the ‘captains-only’ approach to facilitate positive engagement on the field and to assist in the management of the game, promote fair play and create a sporting environment.

In incidents involving discrimination, where discrimination is witnessed by the referee, a red card will be issued.

Where an allegation is made, the appropriate reporting protocols will be followed.

The competition-option Law relating to players covering their mouth being issued a red card in confrontational situations where an allegation of discriminatory comments is made will not apply.