2026 World Cup set for five new officiating rules

VAR moves closer to the action

The biggest shift appears to be about speed and scope.

• VAR would be able to review a corner decision before the restart.
• That review would have to happen immediately.
• Once play restarts, the call would stand, even if the original decision was wrong.

That is a notable change because it tries to correct obvious errors without turning every restart into a prolonged delay. The balance is delicate: more intervention can improve accuracy, but only if the process stays quick.

The report also says VAR could review a second yellow that leads to a red card.

• The second booking would be reviewable.
• The first yellow would remain outside that process.

That could reduce the sense of injustice around dismissals, even if it does not remove every grey area.

A clear push against time-wasting

The other major theme is rhythm. Football has spent recent years trying to cut down dead time, and this looks like another step in that direction.

• Goal-kicks and throw-ins would face a five-second countdown.
• Substituted players would have 10 seconds to leave the pitch.
• Goalkeeper injury stoppages would no longer allow team huddles by the benches.

Those changes are aimed at one thing: keeping matches moving, especially in knockout football where delays can become a tactic.

Behaviour under a brighter spotlight

One detail stands out as much as any VAR tweak: the report says players could even be sent off for covering the mouth in a confrontational way. In modern football, where cameras catch everything, that appears to be an attempt to clamp down on abusive language as well as visible dissent.

If these measures do arrive in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the early story of the tournament may not just be who wins, but how the game is controlled. The first few matches will show whether this is a cleaner, quicker World Cup - or simply a more closely managed one.