Industry Odisha Bureau, June 1: The upcoming FIFA World Cup-2026, slated from June 11 to July 19 being co-hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico, is to be reportedly played under a set of major changes in rules already accorded seal of approval by both the ‘Fédération International de Football Association’ (FIFA) and the ‘International Football Association Board’ (IFAB).
As per media reports, the newly-changed rules chiefly include: “enhanced and more effective reviews to be made by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR)”, “reduction in time-waste”, “player discipline strengthened”, and “improvement in match flow”.
As reported, the enhanced VAR review underlines: “Referees to rely on the pitch-side monitor for on-field review before deciding on disciplinary action” like “Fouls committed during corners and free-kicks”, “Incorrectly-awarded corner kicks”, “Mistaken Identity cases”, and “Second yellow cards wrongly-awarded.”
As reported, “stricter penalties” have been affected by the FIFA and IFAB authorities for “misconduct of players and team officials”:
1) “Red Card to be slapped on players covering their mouths with hands, arms or shirts during confrontational situations”
2) “Players to be sent off if they walk off the pitch protesting a decision by the referee”
3) “Teams abandoning a match will automatically forfeit the game”
4) “Team officials encouraging players to leave the field are liable to face sanctions.”
As reported, the “Time-Waste-Reduction Measures” are:
1) “Five-Second Countdown for Thow-Ins and Goal-Kicks”
2) “Failing to take a throw-in before expiry of five-second countdown will result in opposing team being awarded it”
3) “Delay in a goal-kick beyond the five-second countdown will result in opposing team being rewarded a corner-kick”
4) “Substituted players must leave the field within 10-second-deadline of the substitution board displayed, and must exit through the nearest boundary line”.
5) “If substituted players fail to leave within 10-second-deadline, replacement won’t be allowed until the next stoppage after one minute has elapsed following the restart”.
Besides, the FIFA and IFAB authorities have also affected “new medical treatment rules” and has simultaneously made mandatory “three-minute hydration breaks in each half” in a bid to give higher priority to the welfare of players.
Accordingly, “Players receiving treatment on the pitch must remain off the field for at least a minute after the play resumes”, while relaxations awarded to “injured goalkeeper”, “head injuries sustained by player(s)”, “serious collisions between players”, “penalty-kick designated player(s)”, and “referees allowed timing of stoppage flexibility based on injuries”, as reported by media.
