This article contains adult content that may be inappropriate for minors. Please confirm that you are 18 years or older to continue. This article contains images or details that some readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. It is now official: the International Board (IFAB), the body responsible for the laws of the game, approved changes to the VAR protocol during its annual general assembly, allowing for yellow cards resulting in expulsions and corner kicks to be overturned. The changes will take effect on July 1, but can be applied in competitions that start before and end after that date, meaning they will already be in effect at the 2026 World Cup. The decisions respond to requests from the football community and follow recommendations from IFAB's own panels. The changes, which also include various measures to increase the pace of play and reduce time-wasting, were approved in a meeting in Hensol, Wales — the local federation is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. Three adjustments were approved regarding situations in which the video assistant referee can alert the referee to correct decisions: "Where there is clear evidence, the VAR can now check and review: — red cards resulting from a clearly incorrect second yellow card; — mistaken identity, when the referee penalizes the wrong team for an infraction that results in a red or yellow card being shown to the wrong player; — competitions may allow the VAR to review an incorrectly awarded corner kick, provided the review can be completed immediately and without delaying the restart of the game," reads the IFAB statement. This means that the review of corners is not mandatory; the decision to apply the potential review lies with the competitions. However, FIFA has already announced that it will implement it in the upcoming World Cup. To speed up the pace of play, IFAB has taken other measures, including the introduction of a countdown for "throw-ins and goal kicks." This measure follows the success of that countdown to prevent goalkeepers from holding the ball for too long, but it will be different. In the case of goalkeepers, the maximum time is eight seconds, and the countdown is initiated by the referee at five seconds; for throw-ins and goal kicks, it will be the referee who decides if and when to start the countdown. "If the referee believes that a throw-in or goal kick is taking too long or is being deliberately delayed, he will start a visual countdown [with his hand]. If the ball is not in play at the end of the countdown, the throw-in will be awarded to the opponent; a delayed goal kick will result in a corner kick for the opponent." Another change approved by IFAB relates to substitutions: "To speed up the pace of play, substituted players must leave the field 10 seconds after the substitution board is displayed or, if no board is used, after the referee's signal. If the player does not leave the field within that time, he must still exit; however, the player replacing him can only enter during the next stoppage after one minute of play has elapsed." Finally, also to avoid time-wasting, IFAB formalized a new rule regarding the treatment of injured players: "When a player receives treatment on the field for an injury or that injury causes the game to be stopped, the player must leave the field and remain off for one minute after the game restarts."
International Board World Cup remains central to this story.
International Board World Cup remains central to this story.
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