World Cup: IFAB confirms new VAR powers, 10-second substitutions and tactical timeout ban in major rule change | football news

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has announced a raft of rule changes for the World Cup, including increased powers for VAR, a 10-second option and the abolition of tactical timeouts.

The changes have been approved ahead of this summer’s tournaments in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Other new rules include:

• Five-second countdown for throw-ins and goal-kicks

• Red card for players covering face during confrontation

• Penalty for teams leaving the pitch in protest

• Mandatory one-minute off-field treatment period

New code of conduct introduced

Players who cover their face with hands, arms or shirts in face-to-face situations will now receive a red card.

However, players covering their faces during friendly conversations with opposing players will not be penalized.

Players who leave the pitch in protest at a referee’s decision will also now be shown a red card, while teams who cause the match to be abandoned will automatically have the game abandoned.

The same penalty will apply to team officials who encourage players to leave the field of play.

Expanded VAR capability allowed

VAR will now be able to intervene for wrongly awarded second yellow cards, cases of mistaken identity and wrongly awarded corner kicks.

Officials will also now be allowed to take action if a foul is committed before the ball is played in a set-piece, such as an attacker blocking a defender before taking a corner.

If the VAR detects an offense before the restart, the referees will be sent to the monitor for a review of the field before deciding whether a penalty should be taken and the set-piece restarted.

VAR checks on corners will only be used to correct obvious errors and should not delay the restart of play.

Officials will only intervene for wrongly awarded second yellow cards and will not recommend a second booking where one is not shown on the pitch.

Strategic timeouts must be closed

FIFA is keen to crack down on the team’s growing issue of breaking up games and using injuries for mid-game team talks while players are being treated.

IFAB discussed the matter in March but did not find a solution. However, Fifa’s chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina said the matter was raised during a workshop involving the head coaches of the 48 teams participating in this summer’s World Cup.

While referees will have no restrictions on their disposal, Collina said referees will be “proactive” to prevent teams from unfairly taking advantage of injuries.

“We don’t let teams go to the bench if a goalkeeper is lying on the ground injured,” he said. “The goalkeeper has the right to be injured, but the players do not have the right to leave the field of play to spend some time with their respective coaches-

“I’m afraid we haven’t found a shared solution (on the ban), a solution that everyone agrees on. For this season, the IFAB has not made a decision. Of course something will be done in the future. For now, we rely on the players’ understanding of the problem.

“We told them, ‘Be aware that we know’ so what we can avoid is keeping all the players off the field. There are captains, there are coaches, so the referees must be ready to face something like that if it happens.

New anti-time-wasting measures introduced

Referees will now use a visible five-second countdown for throw-ins and goal-kicks.

If the throw-in is not taken before the countdown expires, possession will be awarded to the opposition. If a goal-kick is delayed beyond the countdown, the opponent will receive a corner kick.

Substituted players will now have only 10 seconds to leave the pitch after the substitution board is shown and must exit using the point closest to the boundary line.

If a player fails to leave within the time limit, their replacement will only be allowed onto the pitch at the first stoppage after one minute has elapsed after the restart.

Off-field treatment and hydration breaks are introduced

Outfield players who are receiving treatment from medical staff on the pitch must now remain off the field for at least one minute after play resumes.

Exceptions will apply in situations where the goalkeeper is hit, collided, hit to the head, concussed or an injured player takes a penalty.

There will also now be a mandatory three-minute hydration break in each half of every World Cup match, giving referees flexibility in timing stoppages depending on injuries or the flow of play.