No more cheeky team huddles while the keeper's down. FIFA's referees' chief is blowing the whistle on a growing World Cup loophole.

FIFA is putting an end to those sneaky mid-match strategy chats during goalkeeper injury breaks, according to cbinewstv.

From the 2026 World Cup onwards, players won’t be allowed to wander off the pitch for a quick word with the manager while the keeper’s getting treatment. That’s the word from Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s head of refereeing, who says refs will now be “proactive” about keeping teams apart.

Here’s the issue: teams have been using goalkeeper injuries as a built-in timeout. Keeper goes down, physio comes on, and suddenly the whole squad’s at the touchline getting tactical tweaks or just breaking the other side’s momentum. Collina isn’t having it anymore.

Speaking on Sunday ahead of the tournament, Collina told cbinews.tv that all 48 World Cup coaches have already been briefed. His message was pretty clear:

“We told them referees will not allow the two teams to go to the benches when a goalkeeper is lying on the ground injured. The goalkeeper has the right to be injured, but the players do not have the right to leave the field of play to have a sort of timeout with their respective coaches.”

Players will now have to stay on the pitch while treatment happens. No more crowding round the technical area. As Collina put it: “It’s quite weird that there really is only the referee, the physio and the goalkeeper on the field of play. All the other players leave the pitch, and it is not good.”

He did say players who drift towards the bench won’t automatically get booked, but refs will be managing it closely.

This has been a proper talking point lately. Back in November, Leeds United boss Daniel Farke accused PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma of using an injury stoppage to kill the game’s rhythm and let his team regroup.

Will this rule actually stop teams from slowing things down? That’s still up for debate. Collina admitted it doesn’t completely solve the problem of stoppages being used to halt momentum. Plus, with three-minute hydration breaks planned for each half at the 2026 World Cup, managers will still get other chances to pass on instructions.

On top of this, the International Football Association Board has also signed off on a VAR change. Video reviews will now be allowed for certain attacking fouls committed before the ball’s in play – another big shift we’ll see at the tournament.

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