Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has suggested a major rule change for something he “used to hate” when officiating matches. The 57-year-old oversaw 561 games during his time in the English top flight, and he remains very much part of the wider football community, analysing his peers’ decisions and proposing updates to the rulebook.
The beautiful game is no longer something played with jumpers for goalposts and a plastic bottle for a ball. Today, you almost need to study the rulebook just to keep up with the constant changes. From the introduction of VAR to debates over what counts as “clear and obvious,” football has shifted far from its humble roots.
Every season brings new rules and amendments. In recent years, the biggest focus has been on ensuring more football is actually played, with efforts to minimise timewasting. Yet, in the 2025/26 campaign so far, the ball has been in play for an average of just 55 minutes per match, suggesting the dark arts are only getting worse. Dean, however, believes he has another way to counter this.
Mike Dean Suggests Major Rule Change To Reduce Timewasting
Mike Dean Premier League
Asked by Jamie Carragher on the latest episode of The Overlap what one change he would make to improve football, Dean hardly paused before revealing his dislike of goalkeepers going down with the ball in the second half. Suggesting a rule change, he said (watch from 53:45 of the video below):
"Even when I was reffing, I used to hate goalkeepers going down in the second-half, especially when there's nothing wrong with them. As a ref, you know there's nothing wrong with them.
"Even at lower levels, the fourth official will predict that the goalkeeper will go down. So, he goes down, everybody goes over, you have a bit of chat between the benches - I would like to see, when that happens, an outfield player goes off for five minutes, because it's only a delaying tactic."
Before he could finish his explanation, Carragher quickly joked that the retired referee was taking aim at Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, with Mikel Arteta’s side - currently chasing their first Premier League title in more than two decades, sitting four points clear of Manchester City at the top - often relying heavily on a defensive tactic that sees them holding out late on.
The eight-second rule for goalkeepers, which means they concede a corner if they hold the ball for that long, was introduced to combat this. But in truth, much of the league has gone back in time, with set pieces, long throws, and direct, dark-arts football returning to vogue.
david raya
So, clearly, the problem is universal. Other suggestions made in the past include an NFL-style timing system, where the clock stops every time the ball goes out of play. But the concern is that matches could end up lasting hours and lose their charm due to the constant stop-start rhythm.
Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger's suggestion of reducing the duration of matches from 90 minutes was never going to be popular. Regardless, something has to change, as the current laws are not doing enough.