Expanded VAR Scope and Time-Wasting Measures for World Cup
Corners and second yellow cards will now fall under the video assistant referee (VAR) review for the upcoming World Cup this summer.
Additional measures aimed at reducing match tempo loss and curbing time-wasting will be implemented, including new countdown timers for goal-kicks, throw-ins, and substitutions.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) approved these changes during its annual general meeting held at Hensol Castle in Wales on Saturday.
The new regulations will take effect from June 1 and will apply throughout the 2026-27 season.
Ifab also agreed to conduct further trials regarding potential offside law modifications and to consult on measures addressing players covering their mouths when confronting opponents during matches.
This consultation follows an incident involving Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni, who was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr while covering his mouth with his shirt. Prestianni, who denies the allegation, has been provisionally suspended by UEFA, European football's governing body.
Trials will also be conducted to explore ways to prevent 'tactical timeouts' caused by goalkeepers receiving on-field treatment.
Additionally, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's proposal to change the offside law will be trialled in the Canadian Premier League starting in April.
More VAR - Leagues May Opt Out
FIFA, the world governing body, strongly supports expanding VAR's remit to quickly correct clear errors. However, many leagues have expressed concerns that additional measures might increase delays, particularly regarding corner decisions.
FIFA insisted on including corner reviews at the World Cup, but due to opposition from leagues, this will be optional for leagues to adopt.
The Premier League is not expected to implement this change, UEFA is also believed to oppose it, but Italy's Serie A is likely to adopt VAR review for corners.
There was greater support for VAR reviewing incorrectly awarded second yellow cards.
For example, Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu was recently sent off for a second booking after Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni went down under minimal contact. Referee designator Gianluca Rocchi expressed regret over the decision, calling it "clearly wrong" and noting "VAR could not be used to rectify it."
Over the past two seasons, the Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel found 17 players were wrongly sent off for two cautions, though none have been logged this season.
The KMI Panel identified seven missed second yellows in the 2025-26 season, but this will not be added to VAR protocols due to concerns that reviewing all potential second yellows would be overly intrusive and could lead to excessive reviews.
Ifab approved allowing VAR to intervene if a yellow card has been clearly given to the wrong player. For instance, if a player is booked for handball but the ball actually touched an opponent's arm, the decision can be corrected.
Countdowns for Goal-Kicks, Throw-Ins, and Substitutions
A rise in popularity of long throws has led to increased stoppages when the ball is out of play.
Measures to address 'tempo disruption' and 'time lost' have been approved.
Building on the success of the eight-second time limit for goalkeepers releasing the ball from their hands, countdown timers will now be applied to players taking goal-kicks and throw-ins.
If a player exceeds the allotted time, possession will be awarded to the opposition, meaning a goal-kick could be changed to a corner, or a throw-in awarded to the opposing team.
Two other items have been added to the laws after successful trials in Major League Soccer (MLS) in recent seasons.
A substituted player must leave the field within 10 seconds; failure to do so will prevent their replacement from entering immediately. The team must play with one fewer player for at least 60 seconds and until the ball next goes out of play.
Players who leave the field due to injury will now be required to remain off for an extended period, doubling the Premier League's 30-second regulation to one minute.
FIFA trialled a two-minute minimum absence, as used in MLS, during the Arab Cup in December. However, leagues expressed concerns about unintended consequences, such as teams conceding goals while a player is off the field.
Exemptions to these rules include situations where the opposing player has been booked or sent off, substitutions being made, or if the player is to take a penalty.
The law will not apply to goalkeepers, and no solution was agreed upon for the 'tactical timeout' issue, which is viewed as a problem in modern football.
Ifab technical panels have extensively discussed this issue but have not reached consensus on an effective solution.
A proposal to remove an outfield player during goalkeeper treatment was rejected due to concerns it might discourage injured goalkeepers from seeking treatment.
Ifab has decided to conduct further trials to assess the issue and propose deterrent options.
New Scope for Red Cards
The law regarding players denying opponents an obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO) has been amended.
Previously, a defender could only be sent off if the fouled player was through on goal. The new wording expands this to include the location and number of attackers, covering situations where a team is on a fast counter-attack and a fouled player could have passed to a teammate with a scoring chance.
Additionally, if a player commits a DOGSO offence when advantage is played and a goal is scored, they will no longer receive a yellow card.
Other changes include clarifications on who may communicate with the referee, limiting it to the captain, and updates on the 'double touch' penalty rule.
There is also a modification permitting players to tape up jewellery if it cannot be removed from their body.
Wenger's Offside Proposal to be Trialled
After six years, Arsene Wenger's proposal to reform the offside law will finally be trialled.
Before Ifab's last meeting in January, the proposal appeared to be stalled. However, the Canadian Premier League volunteered to trial the change.
Wenger, FIFA's head of global football development since 2019, suggests that there should be a complete gap between the attacker and the second-to-last defender (effectively the last defender, considering the goalkeeper's usual position).
Critics argue that this 'daylight offside' rule would disproportionately favor attacking teams.
The trial results will be presented to Ifab at the end of the year, with the possibility of a global law change for the 2027-28 European season.
However, more extensive trials are likely, especially since the Canadian Premier League does not use VAR.
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