The World Cup begins this Thursday, June 11 and the IFAB, the body which governs the rules of the game of football, has put in place new rules. Here they are.
Big developments. As the Football World Cup kicks off this Thursday, June 11, several rules have been put in place by the IFAB. Between the 10 seconds to be replaced or hand on mouth, here’s everything you need to know.
The new rules
- Replaced players will have 10 seconds to exit. Otherwise, their replacement will only be allowed to return at the next stoppage of play after at least one minute of play has elapsed.
- A five-second virtual countdown set up if a player takes too long to put the ball back on the field otherwise the ball will be given to the opposing team. In the event of a clearance at 5.50 m, the opponent will be awarded a corner.
- Players treated on the field must remain off the field for one minute (except for goalkeepers, head-to-head collisions, concussions, if the opponent is cautioned for the foul or if the player must take a penalty).
- The VAR will now be able to intervene in the event of a second yellow card. The referee may reconsider his decision.
- VAR will intervene after a corner is wrongly awarded “provided that the verification can be carried out immediately and without delaying the resumption of play”.
- Yellow cards will be erased after group matches and after the quarter-finals.
- Hiding your mouth during an altercation will automatically earn you a red card.
- Players voluntarily leaving the field to protest against a referee decision, or officials instigating it, may receive a red card.
- A mandatory three-minute refreshment break during each half.
