Fifa has greenlit some major new rules in anticipation of the 2026 world cup and this might very well please fans of football. The players on the pitch? Not so much.
It is quite clear how frustrating it can get when watching a leading team protect a one-goal lead in the final ten minutes of a match. The goalkeeper who takes forty-five seconds over a goal kick or the substitute who ambles off the pitch at the pace of someone who has nowhere important to be. All in an effort to waste time and secure the win. This clear unsportmanship behavior could come to an end with the new rules to the game of football.
IFAB just signed off on major rule changes that kick in at the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The goal is to tighten discipline, cut down on time-wasting, and make VAR work better. Here are a few of the big ones:.
- Time Wasting Crackdown
Referees will now do a visible 5-second countdown on throw-ins and goal kicks. Miss the window and throw-ins flip to the other team, while slow goal kicks turn into a corner for the opponents.
- Substitution procedures have also been tightened.
Subbed players get 10 seconds to exit by the nearest touchline. So dragging your feet will cost a team substitution and the replacement can’t come on until a full minute passes and there’s another stoppage.
- Red Card Penalties.
Players who cover their mouths by any means during confrontations will be awarded a red card. The same penalty will be awarded to players who walk off the pitch protesting a referee’s call.
- Enhanced use of the VAR technology
VAR can now step in for wrongly given second yellows, mistaken identity, and corners that shouldn’t have been awarded.
The jury is still out on whether this will improve the game of football but it could make the game more enjoyable to fans who seek fair play on the pitch.
The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 15.
