Maidstone United manager Craig Fagan supports the new rule clamping down on goalkeepers going down for tactical timeouts but believes teams will look for new ways to delay games

Craig Fagan expects teams to find other ways to disrupt a game following the introduction of new rules on goalkeepers receiving treatment.

Maidstone manager Fagan is in favour of the new rule, which means a nominated outfield player must leave the field for one minute if a keeper requires attention.

There are exceptions if a goalkeeper has been fouled, is bleeding or has been involved in a collision.

The rule change is designed to clamp down on the increasing use of tactical timeouts where an uninjured keeper would go down for treatment, giving managers a chance to gather players round for instructions.

“It happened to us last season a few times,” said Fagan.

“We were ahead in games, or we were trying to get back in games, and managers were using it to make a tactical change in their teams or, to be honest, to give their team a break.

“In the last three seasons we’ve been one of the fittest teams, so that time where the keeper goes down, it gives the opposition a chance to refresh and get back to what the manager wants from them, and organise themselves a little better.

“Hopefully it stops it but there’ll be another way which everyone learns to get round it.

“I’m not saying it’s part of the game but people push the boundaries in terms of the dark arts. It’s always happened.

“Coaches are innovative. They try and find ways to get around stuff and it will happen again eventually this year. Someone will come up with an idea to delay time.”

Fagan believes teams who are undeterred by the rule change and still want to use tactical timeouts will remove an attacking player.

“It’s a bit of a complication that you have to nominate someone to come off for a minute,” he said.

“When I first heard about it, I thought teams would take