Football is set to move on from time-wasting tactics ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament.

The upcoming FIFA World Cup in United States, Canada and Mexico will be the biggest one yet, with a record number of 48 teams set to compete. Substitutes have been often accused of walking slowly, whereas some “tactical” injuries have raised some serious questions.

FIFA, football’s global governing body, along with International Football Association Board (IFAB), have introduced a fresh set of rules ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Let’s now take a quick look at each and every one of these rules.

The goalkeeper rule

The eight-second goalkeeper rule had already been tested globally before, but now this rule arrives at the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament extensively.

In this rule, should a goalkeeper keep the ball inside the penalty box for more than eight seconds, then the opposition team receives a corner kick. For the first three seconds, the referee counts silently, before flashing a countdown with their arm for the next five seconds.

Improved VAR rules

Previously, the Virtual Assistant Referee (VAR) was only allowed to review direct red cards. However, that rule has been changed now to let VAR review second yellow card incidents.

Initially, VAR was forbidden from intervening during second yellow card incidents, but that will change at the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

VAR will also monitor the case of mistaken identity, wherein the assistant can inform the referee that the latter gave a yellow card to the wrong player. Previously, VAR could only do this if it was a straight red card, and had no say in it if it was a yellow card.

Assessing injuries off the pitch

According to this rule, players who receive injury treatment on the pitch, should leave the pitch once the match continues, and be on the sidelines for a minimum of one minute.

Previously, the referee was asked to blow the whistle and pause the game to ensure player safety. The team’s medical staff would then come onto the pitch, treat the player, and then the match would resume after everything was done.

This would kill the momentum of the game, especially if a team was falling behind during the match, and this would also give the manager whose team is leading a chance to talk to his players once more. However, that won’t be the case anymore at the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

Substitution timing

Players who are being subbed off during the match should leave the pitch within 10 seconds of being handed the signal.

Should they fail to do so, then the player coming on should wait on the sidelines until the next stoppage, and until at least one minute has passed. This would temporarily leave the team down with 10 men on the pitch.

The Major League Soccer (MLS) in USA had initially implemented this rule, but now it is being followed globally.

Throw-in and goal kick countdowns

Referees will be allowed to display a five-second countdown if a throw-in or a goal kick is being delayed deliberately.

Should a team fail to resume post the countdown, the ball possession then shifts to the opposing team. The opposing team gets the throw-in, whereas in terms of delayed goal kicks, the opposing team is rewarded with a corner kick.