The International Football Association Board has approved a package of law changes for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with FIFA confirming the measures on 1 June.
The rules will be used at the tournament, which runs from 11 June to 19 July across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The changes were presented to the head coaches of all 48 competing nations during a refereeing workshop led by FIFA chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina, and will also enter domestic competitions from 1 July.
The reforms focus on speeding up play and cutting time-wasting. Referees will signal a visible five-second countdown for throw-ins and goal-kicks; a throw-in not taken in time will be awarded to the opposition, while a delayed goal-kick will result in a corner.
Substituted players must leave the field within 10 seconds at the nearest touchline, or their replacement will be held back for an extra minute after the restart. Any outfield player who receives on-pitch treatment must remain off the field for at least one minute once play resumes, except for goalkeepers, head injuries, collisions or penalty-takers. Every World Cup match will also include a mandatory three-minute hydration break in each half.
Conduct and video review protocols have also been expanded. Players who cover their mouth with a hand, arm or shirt during a confrontation will be shown a straight red card, while the same sanction applies to players or officials who walk off the pitch in protest; teams that cause a match to be abandoned will automatically forfeit.
VAR will now be able to intervene for wrongly awarded second yellow cards, cases of mistaken identity, incorrectly given corners, and fouls committed before the ball is in play at a set-piece, but officials will only act on clear errors and must not delay restarts.