By Jelili Gbadamosi
Neymar Jr. became the first player affected by a new rule aimed at curbing goalkeeper time-wasting during Santos’ 3-0 victory over Vasco in the Brazilian Serie A on Sunday.
The Santos captain was ordered to leave the pitch for one minute after goalkeeper Gabriel Brazao received medical attention, triggering the new trial regulation.
Under the rule, whenever play is stopped because a goalkeeper requires medical treatment, the coach must nominate an outfield player to leave the field for one minute after the game resumes.
However, if the coach fails to name a player within 10 seconds, the team captain is automatically required to serve the one-minute period off the pitch.
In the incident involving Santos, the club’s coach did not nominate a player within the allotted 10 seconds, leaving referee with no option but to instruct Neymar to leave the field.
The temporary rule is designed to discourage goalkeepers from deliberately slowing down matches by requesting medical attention. It is also expected to be introduced in other competitions, including the English Premier League.
Neymar, 34, has recently returned to competitive football and was involved in two matches for Brazil as a substitute at this year’s World Cup. He scored a late penalty in Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to Norway in the round of 16.
