Pierluigi Collina outlines World Cup refereeing changes to curb time-wasting and discrimination | OneFootball

Pierluigi Collina has outlined refereeing changes for the World Cup from 11 June to 19 July, targeting discrimination and time-wasting.

According to L'Équipe, substituted players will have 10 seconds to leave. Otherwise the replacement waits until the first stoppage one minute after the change. Iceland’s 1-0 loss to Japan on Sunday illustrated the rule as Isak Thorvaldsson’s entry was delayed.

A new five-second countdown will govern throw-ins and goal kicks. Offences will flip a throw-in or turn a goal kick into a corner. Collina said officials do not expect many reversals and hope players respect the limits.

VAR will also have a wider scope, including second yellows that lead to a dismissal and cases of mistaken identity for yellow cards as well as reds. A wrongly given corner can be reviewed if the restart is not slowed.

Two IFAB-approved measures will apply. Covering the mouth during a confrontational exchange can bring a red card, a response to the Gianluca Prestianni incident with Vinicius Jr in February that led to a six-match UEFA ban. Friendly conversations can still be masked, Collina said.

Players who leave the pitch to protest, or officials who encourage it, can also be dismissed. With 48 teams and a new last 32, cautions will be wiped after the group stage and again after the quarter-finals. Two yellows still mean a ban.

Source: L'Équipe