Ten seconds to leave the field, no hiding your mouth… New refereeing rules for the 2026 World Cup

Smart kids used to dragging crampons to save time on the ground will have to step up their pace. During the next Football World Cup, players will have ten seconds maximum to leave the field during a substitution. It is also forbidden to cover your mouth when “conflict conversations”, under penalty of receiving a red card.

Pierluigi Collina, the boss of FIFA referees, officially detailed, on Sunday May 31, all of the new rules which will be tested during the 104 matches of the tournament which takes place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Franceinfo summarizes them for you.

The scope of video assistance for refereeing will evolve

“VAR” is gaining ground. Until then, the referee could trigger it for a goal (validated or not), a penalty (whistled or not) or a red card (to be given or not). In addition to these situations, video assistance to refereeing can also be used in the event of a second yellow card, to allow the men in black to reverse an expulsion if necessary if the decision is judged to be incorrect.

The “VAR” can also intervene after a wrongly awarded corner, “provided that the verification can be carried out immediately and without delaying the resumption of play.” “This clarification will be subject to review after the World Cup before any decision regarding possible wider application,” Written in a press release by the International Football Association Board (Ifab), the body which governs the rules of football within Fifa.

Time savings will be punished more harshly

Pierluigi Collina also wants to punish players who try to play with the clock a little too much. From now on, a footballer will have ten seconds to come out during a substitution. After this time, the substitute will have to wait until the next stoppage in play to enter the field, and his team will be forced to play outnumbered, 10 against 11.

Also beware of those who deliberately drag their feet before taking a throw-in or a six-yarder. A virtual five-second countdown will be set up. After this time, the touch will be given back to the opponent and the six meter will turn into a corner.

“We don’t expect to reverse a lot of touches or give away corners, but we hope the players respect those limits that are given to them.”

Pierluigi Collina

during a press conference

Treatment on the pitch will also be more supervised: a player taken into care will then have to stay for one minute outside the pitch. A few exceptions all the same: this measure does not concern goalkeepers, head-to-head collisions, cerebral concussions, faults punished with a card against the opponent or even if the player must take a penalty, RMC list.

Disputes will be punished more

Fifa is also going on the hunt for protests. During the World Cup, players will no longer be able to cover their mouths “during a confrontational conversation with an adversary”, under penalty of receiving a red card. On the other hand, “if it’s a friendly conversation, they can continue to hide their mouth without any problem”, reassured former Italian referee Pierluigi Collina.

This measure refers to a scene which took place on February 17, during the Champions League match between Benfica Lisbon and Real Madrid. That day, Vinicius accused Prestianni of having made racist remarks towards him. Problem: the Argentinian had hidden his mouth with his jersey, making it impossible to read his lips. The Portuguese club’s winger had been suspended for six matches by UEFA.

In this new set of rules, it is also planned to sanction with a red card “any player who leaves the field of play as a sign of protest against a referee decision”. “This new rule will also apply to any team official who encourages players to leave the field,” can we read. Moreover, the 48 competing teams are warned: if one of them “causes a match to be definitively stopped”, elle “will, in principle, be declared a loser by forfeit”.