IFAB okays anti-time-wasting rules, CBF begins rollout in Brazil | OneFootball

The meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) last Saturday (28) defined rule changes in football aimed at curbing unsportsmanlike behavior and bringing matches closer to FIFA’s target of 60 minutes of effective playing time. Among the main changes are a 5-second count for throw-ins, substitutions, and goal kicks, streamlining medical attendances and substitutions, and changes to the VAR protocol, which may now be used to review corner kicks and punishments for a second yellow card.

The CBF’s Refereeing Committee is still awaiting FIFA’s official Circular to begin discussions on the matter, but is already working to find the best way to implement the rules, which FIFA plans to enforce starting July 1. This date aligns with the European football calendar, which traditionally starts its season in the second half of the year, but will require adjustments for Brazilian football, which already has important competitions underway, as well as others about to start, but with regulations already established.

CBF is already planning training to prepare referees and assistants for new rules approved by IFABCredits: Junior Souza / CBF

For the president of the CBF Refereeing Committee, Rodrigo Cintra, the changes introduced are welcome and modernize football. However, since the new set of rules increases the responsibilities of refereeing professionals, to meet FIFA’s deadline, the CBF has already started a plan to adapt this year’s competitions to the changes.

“Now we’ll have goal kicks and throw-ins with five seconds to be taken. Substitutions will have 10 seconds to be completed after the board is raised. In the case of medical attention, the player will need to stay off the field for at least one minute. People may not realize it, but this brings more responsibility to the referee. So what we need to do is train the referees to apply the new rules with excellence,” explained Cintra.

Since officially receiving the package of changes, the CBF Refereeing Committee has begun a technical study to assess the necessary procedures for implementation. At the same time, the organization has sought dialogue with FIFA to discuss alternatives and clarify points regarding the adoption of the new rules in ongoing competitions, such as the Brazilian Serie A Championship or the Copa do Brasil, and in those with already established regulations that will begin soon, such as the other divisions of the Brasileirão.

The next step will be to develop a training plan for referees and assistants, in order to ensure the correct application of the changes by the Brazilian refereeing team.

Once this stage is completed, the CBF will inform the clubs at the appropriate time, for instruction and alignment of procedures to be adopted for the implementation of the new rules.

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