The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has approved a wide-ranging set of rule adjustments aimed at improving match tempo and reducing time-wasting across the sport. The decisions were taken at the body’s 140th Annual General Meeting held in Hensol, Wales, under the chairmanship of Mike Jones, President of the Football Association of Wales. The new measures will come into force at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and will also apply across all other competitions governed by the Laws of the Game.
The reforms reflect growing concern within the football community about the amount of effective playing time lost to deliberate delays and procedural stoppages. Stakeholders, including advisory panels representing different regions and levels of the game, have called for clearer and more enforceable mechanisms to discourage tactics that slow down play. In response, IFAB has introduced amendments designed to ensure that restarts are taken promptly and that matches flow more consistently.
A key development is the extension of the countdown principle to throw-ins and goal kicks. Referees will now be empowered to initiate a visible five-second countdown when they judge that a player is deliberately delaying a restart or taking excessive time. If the ball has not been put back into play by the end of that countdown, sanctions will follow automatically. In the case of a throw-in, possession will be awarded to the opposing team. If a goal kick is delayed beyond the countdown, a corner kick will be given to the opposition. The aim is to remove ambiguity, provide a clear visual cue to players and spectators, and create a firm deterrent against intentional time-wasting.
Further adjustments focus on substitutions, an area that has increasingly contributed to interruptions in match rhythm. Under the new approach, any player being replaced must leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution board being displayed, or immediately upon the referee’s signal where no board is used. If the departing player fails to comply within that timeframe, they must still exit the pitch, but the incoming substitute will not be permitted to enter until the first stoppage after one minute of continuous play has passed. By attaching a competitive disadvantage to unnecessary delay, IFAB intends to discourage players from slowing the process when their team is seeking to protect a lead.
Player welfare remains a consideration in the updated framework, particularly in relation to injury stoppages. When a player receives on-field medical assessment or when play is halted due to an injury, that player will be required to leave the field once play resumes and remain off for a minimum of one minute, measured on a running clock. This provision is designed to prevent the tactical use of minor injuries to disrupt momentum, while still allowing proper medical evaluation to take place.
The meeting also approved refinements to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocol. The scope of review has been broadened in specific circumstances where clear and objective errors may occur. VAR will now be able to intervene in situations involving a red card that results from a clearly incorrect second yellow card. In addition, cases of mistaken identity — where the wrong player is cautioned or sent off — can be corrected. Competitions may also permit VAR to review a clearly incorrect corner kick decision, provided the check can be completed immediately and without causing delay to the restart. These changes are intended to enhance accuracy without undermining the speed and authority of on-field decision-making.
Beyond the immediate rule amendments, IFAB agreed to conduct further trials aimed at addressing tactical injury delays by goalkeepers. Such trials will explore practical options to deter behavior that exploits stoppages while maintaining fairness and player safety.
Collectively, the approved measures signal a continued effort to balance the traditional character of football with modern expectations for pace, transparency, and fairness. By tightening procedures around restarts, substitutions, injuries, and video review, IFAB aims to protect effective playing time and ensure that matches are decided more by performance than by delay tactics.
Post comments (0)