Aston Villa Raise Concerns Over Premier League's New 60-Second Treatment Rule

Aston Villa have contacted refereeing chiefs Pro Ref to raise concerns over new Premier League rules introduced this season around injuries and substitutions, after being affected by the regulation in recent matches.

Under the changes brought in for 2026-27, any player who receives medical treatment on the pitch must leave the field and remain on the sidelines for 60 seconds, an increase from the previous 30-second period, temporarily leaving his team down to ten players regardless of the injury's severity. A similar rule states that if a substituted player takes longer than 10 seconds to leave the pitch, his replacement must wait until the first break in play after the 60-second period before entering.

Villa's concerns stem partly from an incident involving Matty Cash, and the club, along with several other Premier League sides, believe officials need greater discretion in applying the rules, particularly in distinguishing genuine injuries from deliberate time-wasting. "It is difficult, but we will train now in the afternoon and we will check him in case he is getting better. It is a small injury, and he needed a few days," said head coach Unai Emery of Cash's fitness. The rule changes form part of wider measures introduced this season to improve the flow of matches, including a five-second countdown on throw-ins and goal-kicks, but have already drawn scrutiny from clubs during the season's opening weeks.