MLS introduce new rule to eliminate time wasting during substitutions

Time-wasting in football is an issue that often infuriates the recipient while being encouraged by the beneficiary. 

Football teams often waste time by faking injuries or during substitutions. Instructing the substituted player to exit at the nearest point of the pitch has been adopted to curb timewasting during substitution in recent years. 

However, the MLS seems to have found another way to discourage teams from adopting this time-wasting tactic, and it will be trialed in the USA’s reserve league, the Next Pro League.

The MLS will introduce the new substitution rule in its reserve league in a bid to try and stop players from wasting time during substitutions. This rule is still in its trial phase but, if successful, could be adopted by the entire football world. 

The ‘timed substitution rule," as it’s called, will make players leave the field in a hurry as there will be grave consequences if they fail to leave the pitch within the stipulated time.

The departing player will have 10 seconds to exit the pitch; should they fail to do so within that time, the team making the change will have to continue with 10 men for a minute.