FIFA unveils new rules to speed up football

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FIFA has approved new rule changes aimed at making football matches faster and reducing time-wasting tactics.

The new regulations will be introduced at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

The changes focus on substitutions, restarts, injury treatment and the use of video review.

Under the new substitution rule, players leaving the pitch must do so within 10 seconds. If they take longer, their replacement will be forced to wait one minute before entering the field.

The move is intended to discourage players from deliberately slowing the game when being substituted.

Changes have also been made to restarts. Teams will now have five seconds to take a throw-in or a goal kick. Failure to restart play within the time limit will result in possession being awarded to the opposing team.

Football authorities say the measure is designed to reduce delays and keep the match flowing.

The rules also address injury treatment on the pitch. Players who receive treatment during a match will be required to leave the field and can only return one minute after play has restarted.

The change is expected to limit situations where players stay down for long periods and disrupt the rhythm of the game.

Meanwhile, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will have expanded powers.

VAR will now be allowed to review second yellow card decisions and corner kicks if there is a clear mistake.

The adjustment gives match officials another opportunity to correct key calls that could affect the outcome of a match.

The new regulations will come into effect during the next World Cup tournament, which will mark a historic moment for the competition.

The 2026 edition will be the 23rd staging of the global tournament organised by FIFA and will feature several major changes to the competition itself.

For the first time, the World Cup will be hosted by three countries. Matches will be played across sixteen cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Eleven of the host cities will be in the United States, while Mexico will host three and Canada two.

The tournament will also expand from 32 to 48 teams, making it the largest World Cup in history.

The joint hosting rights were awarded after the United 2026 bid defeated Morocco during a final vote at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow.

Mexico will become the first country to host or co-host the men’s World Cup three times, having previously staged the tournament in 1970 and 1986.

The United States last hosted the men’s World Cup in 1994, while Canada will host or co-host the men’s tournament for the first time.

The 2026 competition will also mark a return to the traditional Northern Hemisphere summer schedule after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was played in November and December.

Several teams will be making their first appearance at the tournament, including Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.

Argentina will head into the tournament as the defending champions after winning their third World Cup title in 2022.