The 2026 FIFA World Cup is already making history as the biggest tournament football has ever seen. With 48 teams, three host nations and a revamped format, it is a competition built around change.
But the changes do not stop there.
FIFA has introduced 11 significant law adjustments specifically for the tournament, with referees chief Pierluigi Collina determined to increase playing time, reduce costly errors and improve the flow of matches.
Many of these measures are expected to find their way into domestic competitions, including the Premier League, English Football League and Scottish Premiership in the coming season.
From stricter anti-timewasting rules to expanded VAR powers and tougher sanctions for player misconduct, here are the 11 new laws fans need to know before the first ball is kicked.
1. Goal-Kicks Will Be Subject to a Five-Second Countdown
One of FIFA’s biggest targets is deliberate timewasting, particularly from goalkeepers protecting a lead.
Referees at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will now be able to activate a visible five-second countdown if they believe a player is taking too long to restart play from a goal-kick. Should the player continue delaying, the punishment could be severe: the opposition may be awarded a corner kick.
The aim is to provide a stronger deterrent than a yellow card, especially late in matches when goalkeepers have traditionally pushed the limits of the law.
2. Throw-Ins Will Also Face the Countdown Treatment
The same principle will apply to throw-ins.
If a player deliberately delays putting the ball back into play after a referee initiates the countdown, possession can be handed to the opposition.
Rather than relying solely on disciplinary sanctions, FIFA hopes the threat of immediately losing possession will encourage players to restart play promptly.
3. Slow Substitutions Could Leave Teams Playing With 10 Men
Perhaps the most dramatic anti-timewasting measure concerns substitutions.
Players leaving the field now have just 10 seconds to exit at the nearest point. If they fail to do so without a valid reason, their replacement will be prevented from entering the pitch for at least one minute.
Because the substitute cannot enter until play next stops, teams could find themselves playing with 10 players for several minutes.
The rule has already produced consequences during international friendlies, proving FIFA is serious about stamping out late-game delays.
4. Injured Players Must Remain Off the Pitch for One Minute
Fans have grown accustomed to players spending 30 seconds off the field after receiving treatment.
That period has now doubled.
Any outfield player who receives treatment from medical staff on the pitch must remain off the field for one minute before returning. The law will not be limited to the World Cup and is set to become standard across football competitions.
The change follows FIFA trials and represents a compromise after domestic leagues resisted an even longer two-minute exclusion period.
5. Several Important Exceptions Will Apply to the Injury Rule
While the new one-minute requirement is strict, FIFA has built in safeguards for genuine injury situations.
Players can return immediately if:
- The injured player is a goalkeeper.
- A goalkeeper collides with a teammate.
- A serious injury occurs, including suspected concussion.
- The opposing player is booked or sent off for the incident.
- A penalty has been awarded and the injured player is the designated taker.
These exemptions are intended to ensure the law does not unfairly punish legitimate injury cases.
6. Coaches Will No Longer Be Able to Exploit Goalkeeper “Timeouts”
One increasingly common tactic in modern football involves goalkeepers going down injured while teammates gather around the technical area for tactical instructions.
Collina has informed all 48 World Cup teams that players will no longer be allowed to use goalkeeper injuries as opportunities to receive coaching instructions from the bench.
Whether the measure completely eliminates the practice remains to be seen, but FIFA hopes it will reduce one of the game’s most controversial momentum-killing tactics.
7. VAR Will Check Whether Corners Have Been Correctly Awarded
VAR’s influence is expanding yet again.
For the first time, video officials will be permitted to verify whether a corner kick has been awarded correctly before it is taken.
Interestingly, the same review will not apply to goal-kick decisions that should have resulted in corners.
FIFA believes the existing delay before most corners provides enough time for these checks to be completed without interrupting the flow of the game.
8. VAR Can Review Second Yellow Cards That Lead to Red Cards
Another major expansion of video review concerns dismissals resulting from a second yellow card.
VAR will now be able to intervene if the second caution is based on a clearly incorrect foul decision.
Importantly, this does not mean every second yellow card becomes reviewable. Officials must identify a clear error in awarding the foul itself rather than simply disagreeing with the referee’s judgement on the caution.
9. Attacking Fouls Before the Ball Is in Play Can Now Be Reviewed
One of the more technical changes concerns incidents that occur before a corner or free-kick is actually taken.
If an attacking player commits an offence before the ball is in play and that action directly contributes to a goal, penalty or disciplinary sanction, VAR can now intervene.
The change addresses situations where attackers illegally block defenders before set pieces, actions that previously fell outside VAR’s jurisdiction despite influencing the outcome of the play.
10. VAR Can Correct Cases of Mistaken Identity
This may be one of the rarest situations in football, but FIFA wants a solution in place.
If a player is shown a yellow or red card for an incident that was actually committed by an opponent, VAR can now help correct the mistake.
While unlikely to be used frequently, the law is designed to eliminate one of football’s most frustrating officiating errors.
11. Players Face Red Cards for Certain Forms of Protest and Abuse
FIFA has also introduced tougher measures to combat unacceptable player behaviour.
A player who covers their mouth while engaging in a confrontational exchange can now be shown a red card. The measure is aimed at discouraging abusive language and making players accountable for what they say during heated confrontations.
Similarly, players who leave the field in protest of a refereeing decision may also be sent off.
The rule follows several high-profile incidents in recent international football and reflects FIFA’s determination to protect the authority of match officials.
A World Cup Designed for Faster, Cleaner Football
Taken together, these 11 law changes reveal FIFA’s broader vision for the 2026 World Cup.
The governing body wants more football and less disruption. It wants fewer officiating mistakes, less time-wasting and stronger control over player conduct.
Whether fans embrace every change remains to be seen, particularly the continued expansion of VAR. But one thing is certain: when the 2026 World Cup kicks off, the game will look noticeably different from the one we watched just four years ago.
