Grassroots football to trial cooling-off periods in bid to tackle rise in misconduct
Selected leagues will use system during 2025-26 season
2023-24 season saw 13% rise in serious misconduct cases
The Football Association is to introduce cooling-off periods in grassroots football in acknowledgement that “more must be done” to contain bad behaviour by players at that level.
A select number of grassroots leagues are to trial the system this year, a move that will allow referee to order players of both teams to stop and retreat to their penalty area in order to prevent “escalation during heated moments in a match”.
