NEW RULES Introduced For FIFA World Cup 2026: VAR Gets Added Responsibility

Arpan Mondal

Modified - Mar 02, 2026, 01:10 PM

2 min

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Preparations are in full swing for the FIFA World Cup 2026, slated to be hosted in the USA, Mexico, and Canada in June-July. Amid all the buzz about the coveted tournament, the football governing body has made a massive announcement regarding fair play.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 New Rules refer to four different topics, but all of them are supposedly meant to prevent time-wasting. It’s not rare for teams leading a game to take more time in off-play events like substitutions and treatment.

To manage such practices, FIFA has come up with some new rules in football, which will be effective in the 2026 World Cup. Added responsibilities have been bestowed upon the video assistant referees (VARs). In this Sportsdunia article, we’ll take a deeper look into the FIFA World Cup 2026 New Rules, which will reportedly come into force from June.

Countdowns on Throw-ins, Goalkicks & Substitutions

A player, who has been taken off, will have to leave the field in ten seconds. In case of any delay, the incoming substitute may need to wait at least one minute at the sidelines.

When a footballer is injured, he must go outside the playing area for medical assistance for at least one minute. If any team is found wasting time on dead-ball situations intentionally, the referee will have the option to start a five-second countdown.

For a violation, the on-field referee may award throw-ins to the opposition team, and for goal-kicks, corners may be awarded. These new rules in football are focused on addressing the loss of tempo in matches. These FIFA World Cup 2026 new rules were approved by the International Football Association Board (Ifab) at its recent annual general meeting at Hensol Castle in Wales.

VAR to Review Corners & Second Yellow

FIFA wants the video team to re-check the corners awarded by the on-field referee in the 2026 World Cup. The VAR can overturn the decision instantly if there is an error. The same goes for second yellow cards, as many teams across big leagues have voiced their concerns regarding this matter. FIFA remains adamant about preventing such controversies in the World Cup.