The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has made changes to the rules of the game that will be applied from the 2026-2027 season, as well as to the World Cup, which starts on June 11 in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“The IFAB has approved a series of ground-breaking changes to the rules of the game and the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first major tournament they will use,” FIFA chief referee Pierluigi Collina told reporters.
“These changes are intended to tackle discrimination, reduce time wastage, improve match pace and improve both the player and fan experience.”
HERE ARE ALL THE CHANGES:
PLAYERS COVERING THEIR MOUTHS
A player who covers his mouth with his hand, arm or shirt in confrontation situations will receive a red card.
The new rule comes into effect after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was accused of making discriminatory comments against Vinicius Jr. with his mouth covered. Prestianni was given a six-match ban by UEFA, with his ban extended worldwide.
For example, players who cover their mouths while having friendly conversations with opposing teammates will not be punished.
PLAYERS LEAVING THE GAME FIELD
Players who leave the field of play to protest a referee’s decision will receive a red card. The rule also applies to any team official who urges players to leave the field of play in protest. Teams that cause a match to be abandoned now lose the match.
The new rule comes into effect after Senegal stormed off the pitch in protest at a penalty awarded to them in the Africa Cup of Nations final, before returning after extra time to beat hosts Morocco 1-0.
THROW-IN AND GOAL KICK COUNTDOWNS
Referees begin a five-second visual countdown with a raised hand. If the ball is not in play at the end of the countdown, a throw-in is awarded to the opponents.
If no goal kick is taken at the end of the countdown, a corner kick will be awarded to the opponents.
REPLACEMENT PROTOCOL
Players have 10 seconds to leave the field after the substitution sign is shown. Players must leave the field at the nearest point on the boundary line.
If the substituted player does not leave the field of play within 10 seconds, the substitute may only enter the field of play at the first interruption after one minute has elapsed after the restart and the referee gives him the signal.
Exceptions: player injuries, safety and security concerns.
OFF-FIELD TREATMENT
After the restart, a field player must leave the field of play for one minute while medical personnel enter the field to treat him.
Exceptions: injuries to the goalkeeper, collisions between a goalkeeper and court player, collisions between teammates that require attention, serious injuries (such as head injuries and concussions), or when the injured player is about to take a penalty kick.
VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE (VAR) PROTOCOL
“We started using VAR in FIFA competitions in 2017, during the Confederations Cup before the World Cup in Russia in 2018,” Collina said.
“So we (think this) is the time to reconsider the protocol that was written when there was very limited experience.”
The VAR may now intervene in the following incidents:
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Red card issued due to a clearly incorrect yellow card.
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Mistaken identity: A player receives a yellow or red card for a foul committed by another player.
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Wrongly awarded corner kicks: VAR may intervene if the decision can be corrected immediately without delaying the restart.
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VAR can now intervene if a foul is committed before play has restarted (for example: when an attacker fouls a defender before the ball is in play from a restart).
“The VAR will recommend an on-field assessment after which, if the referee determines that an infringement has occurred before the ball was in play, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken and the corner kick or free kick will be retaken,” IFAB said.
HYDRATION BREAKS
In each match there will be a three-minute hydration break in each half. The break is taken around the halfway point of each half (22nd minute).
Referees have been given some flexibility regarding the timing of the break. For example, if a player is injured and requires treatment in the 20th minute, the referee may signal the hydration break.
INJURIES TO GOALKEEPERS
If a goalkeeper is being treated on the field, players from either team are not allowed to leave the field of play and are allowed to have a ‘time-out’ with their respective coaches.
Published on June 1, 2026
