VAR Powers Widened For World Cup Arabian Post

(MENAFN- The Arabian Post) clearfix"> Video assistant referees will have wider authority at the 2026 World Cup after football's lawmakers approved a clarification allowing intervention for clear attacking fouls committed before the ball is put into play at corners and free kicks.

The change means a goal, penalty decision or disciplinary sanction can be reviewed if an attacking player blocks, holds, impedes or otherwise fouls an opponent before the set-piece is taken, provided the offence has a direct impact on what follows. It closes a gap in the existing protocol, under which VAR intervention was largely tied to offences after play had formally restarted.

The International Football Association Board has approved the measure for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which begins on 11 June 2026. FIFA is expected to use the competition as a major test of several rule changes designed to speed up matches, reduce gamesmanship and give referees clearer backing in high-pressure incidents.

Set-piece routines have become one of football's most heavily coached areas, with attacking teams using screens, blocks and coordinated runs to create space in crowded penalty areas. Referees have often struggled to judge whether contact before delivery should be treated as ordinary jostling or an offence with a material effect on the play. The new clarification gives video officials a route to intervene when a missed offence leads directly to a goal or another major match decision.

FIFA referees' chief Pierluigi Collina has pushed for clearer enforcement around such incidents, arguing that football cannot allow goals to stand when they are created by illegal blocking or holding away from the ball. Match officials are expected to receive detailed guidance before the tournament, including examples of attacking fouls before corners and free kicks.

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The expanded VAR remit is not limited to pre-delivery set-piece offences. The World Cup will also feature broader video-review powers for mistaken identity, wrongly issued second yellow cards and incorrectly awarded corners in specified circumstances. The changes mark a shift from the narrower VAR model used at earlier tournaments, when intervention was limited mainly to goals, penalties, direct red cards and cases of mistaken identity.

Anti-time-wasting measures form the other major part of the package. Referees will be able to use a visible five-second countdown for delayed throw-ins and goal kicks. Failure to restart in time will result in possession switching to the opposition for throw-ins, while a delayed goal kick can be punished with a corner. The move is designed to prevent teams from draining the clock during stoppages, particularly late in matches.

Substitutions will also be subject to tighter control. A player being replaced must leave the field within 10 seconds and by the nearest boundary line, unless the referee allows otherwise. If the player delays, the incoming substitute can be held back for one minute and until the next stoppage, reducing the tactical value of slow exits.

Medical stoppages are being addressed through a one-minute off-field treatment rule. Outfield players who receive treatment on the pitch will normally have to remain off the field for one minute after the restart. Exceptions will cover serious injuries, head-injury concerns, goalkeeper cases, collisions involving goalkeepers, team-mate collisions requiring treatment, injuries caused by carded fouls and players due to take a penalty.

FIFA is also targeting the practice of turning goalkeeper injury stoppages into informal tactical breaks. When a goalkeeper receives treatment, outfield players will not be allowed to gather near the technical area for instructions. They must remain on the pitch or move to a neutral area such as the centre circle, limiting the opportunity for coaches to use stoppages as unscheduled time-outs.

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The 2026 tournament will be the first 48-team World Cup, with 104 matches across three host nations. That scale increases pressure on FIFA to keep games moving and maintain consistency across venues, refereeing teams and playing conditions. Mandatory hydration breaks are also expected to be used where required, reflecting the varied climates across North America during the tournament window.

Player conduct is another area of emphasis. New disciplinary provisions include stronger sanctions for dissent and confrontational behaviour, including players covering their mouths during aggressive exchanges where officials may be unable to assess whether discriminatory or abusive language has been used. Leaving the field in protest at a referee's decision, or encouraging abandonment, will also carry severe consequences.

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