SHOULD RULES BE CHANGED TO STOP GAMESMANSHIP IN FOOTBALL?

Recently, I went to a lower-league fixture in which a goalkeeper went down injured five times in one game, seemingly to break up the momentum of the match.

- CHRIS FLANAGAN, RYAN DABBS

Such things happen all of the time in British football now.

Sure, gamesmanship has always existed to some extent - teams will do what they can get away with. It doesn't benefit the spectacle, though, when any time a team get attacking momentum, the opposition are struck by a mysterious injury to force a two-minute time-out, as the entire team jog over to the dugout for some tactical instructions. If I wanted to watch a staccato sport with tedious time-outs, I'd move to America.

Wisely, a new rule was introduced in 2023, forcing any player who requires treatment to remain off the field for 30 seconds after play restarts. The less-than-genuine injuries would suddenly have consequences - I've seen a few teams concede a goal during those 30 seconds. Teams soon found a loophole. The rule doesn't apply to goalkeepers, so instead it was they who went down. “Ref, I've got cramp, I'm in terrible pain!” Er, we've played 22 minutes, mate, and you've been standing still.