Red cards, VAR and offside laws face IFAB review at London meeting

It is seen as the scourge of the modern game. The goalkeeper falls to the ground away from the ball and play stops. All ten players rush to the technical area for a group chat.

Once the coach gets his new instructions, the goalkeeper wakes up. There is nothing the referee can do about it.

It is often used by a coach when their team is struggling, or perhaps they have a player who has been sent off and need to reorganize.

In November, Leeds United coach Daniel Farke accused Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of faking an injury “to break the rules.”

The player receiving treatment must leave the field for 30 seconds.

The same logic cannot be applied to goalkeepers, so the International Football Association Board (IFAB) is considering forcing a coach to remove a player from the field instead.

Some oppose it, believing that it assumes that the goalkeeper is cheating when he or she may actually be injured.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) accepts that something needs to be done, so it will likely be trialled at lower levels next season and the results evaluated.

But if you think 30 seconds is too much, it could be longer.

In the Arab Cup last month, FIFA tested players who must leave the field for two minutes if they receive attention from a physiotherapist.

However, it is not a new idea, and has been around in Major League Soccer for the past couple of years.

Players who are down for more than 15 seconds, remain on the ground and receive treatment, must remain off the field for two minutes, with some exceptions.

The Premier League is believed to oppose any extension of more than 30 seconds.