EFL boss blasts ‘diabolical’ new league rule just two games into season

Aug 23, 2026 - 12:30

Charlton manager Nathan Jones blasted the new EFL law that stopped his substitute from entering the field for a whole minute.

The Addicks beat West Ham 2-1 at the London Stadium to go second in the Championship after two games.

Charlton celebrating against West Ham — Charlton have a 100 per cent record to start the 2026/27 season

It was a huge reality check for the Hammers after being relegated from the Premier League last season.

Speaking to outlets, including talkSPORT, after the game, Jones called the new rule introduced across the pyramid as ‘diabolical’.

Players leaving the field have a ten-second time limit to get off the pitch. If they fall foul of this new rule, then the oncoming substitute has to stay off for a minute.

Former Chelsea youngster Nathaniel Chalobah was replaced by Joe Rankin-Costello in the 77th minute, but the oncoming man was kept off the pitch.

Jones told talkSPORT: “My big thing is where he [the referee] kept our player off for a minute, not putting him on, because it’s ridiculous, it’s stupid.

“Chalobah is running off and because it went 11, 12 seconds, two seconds over the 10.

“We had a minute without [him], for me it’s diabolical, it’s scandalous how they do that.

“You’re away from home, 60 odd thousand, the ex-Premier League side, they don’t need an advantage.

“We’re not trying to slow the game down in any way, there was real fluency in the game and I don’t get it and that’s the only thing I had a real gripe about.”

Charlton have now won back-to-back games at the start of the season, just one of two teams to do so alongside Millwall.

West Ham United's Taty Castellanos misses a late penalty — Castellanos squandered a chance to get a late equaliser for West Ham

It could have been a different story with West Ham missing a penalty in the final minutes as £26m striker Taty Castellanos hit the post.

Jones said: “We had a little bit of luck at the end but let’s not dwell on that because I think we earned our luck. I thought for large majorities.

“We were comfortable, they put balls into the box but we dealt with them, we looked a real threat on the counter, with a little bit probably better decision making in and around the final third we could have extended our lead.

“It’s a tough place to come, it’s the toughest place to come in the Championship. They are the best squad, they’re the biggest squad, the most lucrative squad, 60-odd thousand here, and our fans were magnificent.

“It’s a wonderful away day and you’re not going to take any result here and that’s not me being pessimistic, but to win here away from home in the second game after them coming down from the Premier League, it’s a wonderful win.”