This summer’s FIFA World Cup will introduce five-second countdowns for throw-ins and goal kicks as football’s governing body prepares to implement a series of initiatives aimed at accelerating the pace of play.
The positive reception of the eight-second rule this season, which mandates that goalkeepers must release the ball or face a corner kick penalty, has motivated the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to address other tactics that disrupt the flow of a match.
During its annual general meeting in Wales on Saturday, the IFAB is expected to endorse several law modifications, including granting referees the authority to initiate a five-second countdown when they believe players are delaying a throw-in or goal kick.
A referee would likely blow the whistle, signal, and then commence a five-second countdown with their hand if they perceive a deliberate delay in restarting play. Exceeding five seconds for a throw-in would result in the throw-in being overturned, while a goal kick that is intentionally delayed would lead to a corner being awarded.
Changes approved on Saturday would officially be integrated into the laws of the game starting July 1, but competitions like the World Cup, which begins shortly before, may implement them sooner.
The IFAB is also contemplating a 10-second limit for substitutions. Teams that surpass this timeframe would be prohibited from substituting that player, leaving them a player short for a minimum of one minute.
Additionally, the IFAB is likely to establish a one-minute limit applicable across all competitions for players to remain off the field when their injury has caused a stoppage in play.
Various competitions have trialed different time limits, ranging from 30 seconds in the Premier League to an initial three minutes in the MLS, but the IFAB aims to standardize the approach.
The objective of these measures is to sustain the game’s tempo while also minimizing the time added for stoppages, which poses challenges for player welfare, fans, and broadcasters.
Injuries to goalkeepers will continue to be exempt from these changes, but it is believed that the IFAB may propose future trials requiring an outfield player to leave the pitch if a goalkeeper’s injury halts play.
Concerns have been raised that some teams may exploit the rules regarding goalkeepers to disrupt play, strategize, and regroup.
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The World Cup is also poised to be the first tournament to benefit from some VAR modifications likely to be approved on Saturday.
One proposed change will allow competitions the option to utilize VAR to review corner decisions, enabling quick corrections without delaying the game. Lawmakers are determined to prevent delays; thus, if a corner is taken swiftly and the review is incomplete, play must continue without interruption.
The protocol will also be expanded to permit VARs to assess red cards issued for a second yellow card and to advise referees to reconsider instances where that second caution is evidently erroneous. It is also suggested that VAR should be able to intervene if a red or yellow card is incorrectly assigned to the wrong team.
The Press Association reports that a trial of the ‘daylight’ offside rule change, advocated by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, will not proceed in the Canadian Premier League, contrary to suggestions made at last month’s IFAB annual business meeting in London.
The IFAB will review the ongoing trials of ‘daylight’—which are believed to be limited in scope—and consider whether to also test a variation of ‘daylight’ offside based on whether an attacker’s torso is ahead of the second-last defender.
