Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA's Referees Committee, explained the changes…

The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada will be the perfect opportunity for FIFA to implement a series of new refereeing initiatives aimed at streamlining the game and penalizing any attempts to waste time. Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA's Referees Committee, announced the regulations adopted by the IFAB (International Football Association Board) that will come into effect during the tournament… and MARCA was there to get a sneak peek.

“These initiatives aim to combat discrimination and time-wasting, improve the relationship with players, and enrich the fan experience,” explained the legendary Italian referee. He was referring to stricter penalties for time-wasting and insults between players, as well as improvements to the VAR protocol, such as the possibility of overturning an unjustified second yellow card that resulted in a player's expulsion.

Pierluigi Collina, President of the FIFA Referees Committee, CHEMA REY.

FIFA has made it clear that situations such as protests against referees will be punished more severely than in the past.

Minimize game interruptions

“Our goal is to minimize interruptions in play,” explains Collina. “We introduced the eight-second rule for goalkeepers last season, and I think you’ll agree it worked very well. Corners were rarely awarded for exceeding that time limit,” he adds.

However, FIFA is now going further and will apply similar measures to throw-ins:

When a player deliberately delays a throw-in, the referee signals or blows the whistle. A 5-second countdown then begins; the player must take the throw-in within that time. If the throw-in is not taken within 5 seconds, it is awarded to the opposing team.

Daniel Siebert, during the Champions League final. EFE.

For clearances with the foot, the countdown is reduced to 5 seconds. If the clearance is not made within this time, a corner kick will be awarded to the opposing team.

Players who cover their mouths when speaking to others

“What we want is for players to refrain from this behavior,” Collina admitted, clarifying that it was “a fairly simple problem, really.” He added, “Covering your mouth when speaking during a confrontation is not involuntary. It’s not an accidental or instinctive gesture. A player does it by choice. Therefore, if players know that covering their mouths in these kinds of situations constitutes an offense or inappropriate behavior, we simply expect them to stop doing it. It’s as simple as that.”

The rule is clear: at the referee's discretion, any player who covers their mouth during an altercation with an opponent may receive a red card. However, the term "altercation" only applies to covering one's mouth with a hand, arm, or jersey.

There will be no more "Senegalese affair".

The aim is also to minimize the number of disputes over refereeing decisions: "At the discretion of the competition organizer, the referee may issue a red card to any player who leaves the field to protest a refereeing decision. This new rule will also apply to any member of the coaching staff who incites players to leave the field. A team that causes a match to be interrupted will, in principle, be declared to have forfeited."

Senegal's players are eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco. EFE.

10 seconds to make the change

“We also want to limit interruptions due to substitutions,” Collina explains. This measure, already tested “successfully” in MLS, requires substituted players to leave the field within 10 seconds. Otherwise, they will only be able to enter the game at the next interruption.

Here's the key point: if a player doesn't leave the field within 10 seconds, the substitution isn't valid, but the replaced player must still leave the field. This substitution, resulting in a numerical disadvantage, can only be made at the first stoppage of play after one minute of play and cannot be canceled or changed. It stands… but will be made later. Exceptions exist, particularly in cases of injury or safety concerns. If several substitutions are made simultaneously, all substituted players must leave the field within 10 seconds of the fourth official raising the sign.

This situation actually already occurred today… during the friendly match between Japan and Iceland. The Nordic team was reduced to ten men in the final minutes of the game (for just over a minute) because Hlynsson took more than ten seconds to leave the field. That's how long it took Japan to open the scoring.

Koeman and Malen embrace during a substitution. EFE.

Injuries and medical care

This measure has already been tested; it is simply being updated. When an injured player receives medical treatment on the field from a doctor or physiotherapist, they must leave the field and remain there for one minute before being allowed to return. This allows the medical staff to better assess the player's condition and gives them time to recover. Specific exceptions are outlined in the IFAB Laws of the Game.

Changes made to the VAR protocol

It has been decided to expand the situations in which VAR can intervene. VAR will be able to recommend a video review to the on-field referee in the following cases:

A direct red card results from a clearly erroneous decision regarding the second yellow card. This second yellow card can be rescinded.

This is a case of mistaken identity (the wrong player receives a warning or is sent off).

A corner is wrongly awarded.

What does this last point imply? If a corner is wrongly awarded, the decision can be corrected before the corner is taken, without the need for a lengthy review. It will never be corrected after the corner has already been taken. Collina speaks of decisions made in 10 to 15 seconds that will be obvious.

Hydration breaks

When weather conditions require it, hydration breaks will be scheduled to protect the health and safety of the players. These breaks will generally take place around the 22nd minute of each half, but may be adjusted depending on the flow of the game.