IFAB confirms a series of rule changes for the 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

Just days before the start of the 2026 World Cup, IFAB officially confirmed the multiple rules that will be implemented for the first time during the tournament. They are intended to speed up the game, waste as little time as possible, and deliver a more appealing product for all spectators.

The rules IFAB confirmed ahead of the 2026 World Cup

First of all, players will have just 10 seconds to leave the field when being substituted. If they exceed that time, the team will have to play with one fewer player for one minute, and only then will the replacement be allowed to enter. In fact, the rule was already applied in a friendly match between Japan and Iceland: the referee temporarily prevented a player from the European side from coming on and, during that time, the Asian team took advantage and scored the only goal.

Following that same logic, with the aim of speeding up the match and increasing effective playing time, there will be a 5-second limit to take throw-ins and goal kicks. If that condition is not met, possession will be awarded to the opposing team.

A player who commits a foul with the intention of stopping a dangerous attack, if the move ends in a goal for the opposing team, will not receive a booking or be sent off. For that to apply, the referee must have played advantage beforehand.

This is how the 10-second rule was applied, leaving Iceland with ten players

Players who receive medical treatment on the field or cause the match to be stopped due to an injury—unless it was caused by a foul punished with a card—will have to leave the field and remain off it for one minute after play resumes.

On the other hand, if a player accidentally strikes the ball with both feet simultaneously or touches their standing foot or leg while taking a penalty, there will be two possible outcomes: if the ball goes into the net, the kick will be retaken. Otherwise, an indirect free kick will be awarded or, if it happens in a penalty shootout, it will be counted as missed.

When restarting play with a dropped ball, the ball will be dropped for the team that would have kept or gained possession if play had not been stopped, which also includes the team that would have restarted play if the ball had gone out of bounds. In addition, if play is stopped due to contact with a referee or an outside agent, the ball will be dropped at the place where it happened.

Lastly, VAR will be able to intervene in more plays in order to give the on-field referee more tools. It will be authorized to review second yellow cards, correct the mistaken identity of a player sanctioned with a card, and change the decision on corner kicks awarded incorrectly.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.