UEFA issues new instructions for handling injured players

UEFA has issued a circular to its member federations, including North Macedonia, clarifying new instructions for referees on how to handle incidents when one or more players are down injured during a match. The guidance, dated 19.08.2026, requires the measures to be applied also in domestic competitions organized by each federation.

Three concrete recommendations

UEFA lists three scenarios and the referee’s suggested actions in each. The first concerns cases where an injured player remains on the ground and that situation has a direct impact on play.

"If the player remains on the ground and that directly affects the events on the field, the referee is advised to stop play before any of the players (teams) deliberately kick the ball out of play. In that case the injured player must leave the game and remain off the field for one minute."

The second scenario covers when a teammate of the injured player intentionally puts the ball out of play to allow attention for the downed player.

"If a team-mate of the injured player stops play and kicks the ball out for a throw-in or goal-kick, and another player or players are lying on the field – play is stopped, the player leaves the field and will remain there for at least one minute."

The third recommendation addresses situations where an opponent plays the ball out of play while an opposing player is down. UEFA says referees may choose one of two options depending on whether they suspect the fall was simulated.

"If an opponent kicks the ball out of play while a player from the other team is lying on the field, in order to respect fair play, and the injured player gets up, then the referee has two options: he may decide that the player does not have to go off the field to avoid the possibility that the opponent intentionally kicked the ball out so that the player who was down goes off the field for one minute. Or he may send him off and pause one minute if he considers that he intentionally fell (simulated a foul or injury) to make a stoppage."

UEFA also instructs that the fourth officials should count the one-minute pause for players who have been taken off the field and, in coordination with the referee, signal when the 60 seconds have elapsed and the player may re-enter.

The circular makes clear that national federations must adopt the guidance for their domestic matches; clubs and referees in North Macedonia can expect the new routine to be enforced during the coming rounds of competition.

Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)