New football laws to be applied at World Cup 2026

A new set of laws will be applied at the 2026 World Cup, as announced by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) on May 18, just weeks before the tournament kicks off on June 11. These changes will be enforced from the 2026-2027 season onward and immediately at the World Cup.

“IFAB has approved a series of landmark changes to the Laws of the Game, and the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the first major tournament to implement them,” said FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina. “These amendments aim to address discrimination, reduce time-wasting, increase the tempo of matches, and improve the experience for both players and fans.”

Here are the key changes:

Covering the mouth during play: Players who cover their mouth with their hand, arm, or shirt in confrontational situations will receive a red card. However, covering the mouth during friendly chats with club teammates from opposing national teams will not be penalized. This rule was introduced after Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica) was accused of making discriminatory remarks toward Vinicius Jr while covering his mouth, leading to a six-match UEFA ban later extended globally.

Leaving the field to protest referees: Players who leave the field to protest a referee’s decision will be shown a red card. The rule also applies to team officials who incite players to leave the field. The team responsible for a match being abandoned will forfeit the game. This change followed Senegal’s walk-off in protest of a penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco.

Countdown for throw-ins and goal kicks: Referees will start a five-second countdown with their hand raised. For throw-ins, if the ball is not in play when time expires, possession will go to the opposing team. For goal kicks, the opposing team will receive a corner kick. This regulation aims to combat time-wasting.

Substitution procedures: The player being substituted has 10 seconds to leave the field from the moment the substitution board is raised and must exit at the nearest point on the touchline. If they do not leave within 10 seconds, the incoming player may only enter at the first stoppage of play one minute after the match resumes and the referee signals. Exceptions apply for injury or safety concerns.

Off-field treatment: Any player other than the goalkeeper must leave the field for one minute after the match resumes if medical staff entered the pitch to treat them. Exceptions include goalkeeper injuries, collisions between a goalkeeper and another player, teammate collisions requiring care, serious injuries (such as concussions or head injuries), or when an injured player is about to take a penalty.

Expanded VAR: VAR was first used in FIFA tournaments in 2017, with the 2018 World Cup being the first to adopt it. Now, VAR will review clearly incorrect second-yellow-card red cards or sanctions resulting from mistaken identity. Incorrect corner kick decisions can also be reviewed by VAR if the decision is corrected immediately without delaying play. VAR will also intervene when a foul occurs before the ball is in play (e.g., an attacker fouls a defender before the ball comes into play from a set piece). IFAB stated: “VAR will recommend an on-field review, and if the referee determines there was an offense before the ball came into play, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken, and the corner kick or free kick will be retaken.”

Drink breaks: There will be a three-minute drink break in each half, around the 22nd minute, with some flexibility for the referee (e.g., if a player is injured in the 20th minute, the referee may signal a drink break).

Goalkeeper injuries: If a goalkeeper receives treatment on the field, players from both teams are not allowed to leave the field to “confer” with coaches.