Gary Lineker slams 'ridiculous' new refereeing rule that Premier League must avoid

Gary Lineker has criticised a new rule aimed at stopping time-wasting in Major League Soccer (MLS). The rule means that if players take too long to leave the pitch when they're being substituted, their team could face penalties.

Referees will start timing players as they leave the pitch, and they'll only have ten seconds to do so. If they take too long, their team will have to play with one less player for the next 60 seconds once the game restarts.

The «Timed Substitution Rule» is designed to make sure players leave the pitch at the nearest point to them, following a worldwide law change by IFAB in 2019. Before this, players would leave the pitch at the halfway line, and many still do this even though it's not strictly enforced anymore.

In MLS, the clock will start ticking as soon as the substitute board shows the details of the change. But Lineker, the host of Match of the Day, isn't happy about the new rule.

He took to social media to express his frustration, calling the rule «More ridiculous nonsense,» on X, which used to be known as Twitter, reports The Express.

He added: «Punishing players and teams for getting hurt/injured, thus rewarding those that commit fouls that cause injuries. You couldn't make it up, but they do.»

However, there will be exceptions to the rule, such as when a player is injured. Goalkeeper substitutions are another exception, as are instances where medical staff enter the pitch, plus for safety reasons.

If any of those happen — or if the referee decides otherwise — players can leave the pitch wherever they want without getting into trouble. The new rule also says that players won't always get a yellow card if they don't leave the pitch in ten seconds.

The ref gets to decide if someone is taking too