Ex-Premier League referee suggests radical rule to ban players for time wasting

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher believes that all substitutes after 90 minutes should be banned.

Gallagher feels that most changes made after the 90th minute are purely to waste time and disrupt the game and nothing more.

This conversation came off the back of a chat about the new trial around goalkeeper tactical timeouts.

Should goalkeepers go down this season to receive treatment, managers must nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch immediately for one minute.

The tactic has become increasingly controversial, with Leeds boss Daniel Farke fuming when Man City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma feigned an injury in November to break up play.

And while discussing this on The Sports Bar with Jamie O’Hara and Jermaine Pennant, Gallagher suggested his idea to tackle all time wasting at the end of games.

He said: “I don’t think there should be substitutes in stoppage time because it is normally always a winning team who does it to break up play.

“I just think that’s how it is…”

O’Hara was more than bit confused: “Hold on, you don’t think you should be allowed to make a sub in added time? At all, unless he’s injured?”

Gallagher responded: “I have a caveat. I think that most substitutes in stoppage time are for teams that are defending leads, and they are trying to break up play, so to stop that, I would say no substitutes in stoppage time.

“The caveat would be that if you are genuinely injured, I would allow a substitute, but you then can’t play for two weeks.”

O’Hara wasn’t having it: “Come on. What are you on about?

Getty

“You can’t stop a player playing for two weeks if he’s injured.

“Say he’s got a dead leg.”

Gallagher doubled down: “I just think you’ve got to have some deterrent to stop someone circumventing the system.”

O’Hara still wasn’t having it: “Say, we score in the 89th minute and go 2-1 up.

“My manager is within his right to make a sub, a minute later, which would be in added time.

“He wants to put a centre-back on. You aren’t going to allow that?”

Gallagher feels this proves his point: “Well, he’s done exactly what I just said that. He’s done that to break up play.”

O’Hara hit back: “No, he’s done that to hold on to a lead and to change his team tactically to help us win.”

But Gallagher would not be deterred: “Normally, when you get to three or four minutes of stoppage time, a team that makes a change are hanging on for dear life.”

The back and forth continued, with O’Hara adding: “All managers try and slow the game down, it is part of the game.

“I feel like we are just trying to stop things that are part of football.”

Getty

Goalkeeper trial

While Gallagher’s idea isn’t happening just yet, the FA have confirmed that a trial into stopping tactical timeouts when goalkeepers are injured will take place this season.

The trial will start from the National League up and includes the Women’s Super League as well [WSL].

The aim of the trial is to ensure genuine injuries, and if a player can’t be nominated, the captain must leave the field of play.

The goalkeeper also can’t go off, and there are some exceptions.

If a free-kick is awarded for a foul on the goalkeeper and the shot-stopper requires immediate treatment, then no outfield player would have to leave the pitch.

This is the same if the goalkeeper is bleeding or has collided with an outfield player.

But O’Hara thinks he’s found a way around it already.

He said: “The goalkeeper one, I get it. Goalkeepers wasting time, but If I was the manager of Tottenham, I’d make [Antonin] Kinsky the captain.”

Gallagher enjoyed that one: “[Laughing]. I have said to you and Jase [Jason Cundy] numerous times that the thing with the laws of the game is that coaches circumvent them.

“What happens if [Emi] Martinez at Villa is captain and goes down injured. What are you going to do?

“You’ve got to take off an outfield player, but the manager is saying he can’t decide in ten seconds, so you are snookered.”

Getty

And O’Hara said: “It’s ridiculous. It’s a stupid rule because teams will just make the goalkeeper captain.

“Couldn’t you just stop the clock?”

Gallagher responded: “Well, that doesn’t stop the fact that it’s breaking up play.

“It’s not about the time, it’s about the momentum of the game.

“That stoppage breaks your flow on the game.”

O’Hara concluded: “I get they are trying to stop time wasting, but I’ve found a way around it already.

“Kinsky, el capitano. You are stuffed. IFAB, what are you going to do about it?

“Kinsky is the captain, and I can’t think of someone. No one can go off, and that is exactly what the Premier League will do.”