VAR to be given much more energy in controversial new additions by lawmakers

Despite there still being firm resistance against the video assistant referee (VAR), football’s lawmakers IFAB have made some huge changes

VAR’s authority has been expanded by football’s lawmakers in developments which are certain to spark further controversy. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) have doubled down on the video assistant referee, despite ongoing flashpoints and grievances.

Utilising VAR to review corners will be available for competitions from this summer, whilst the fundamental VAR protocol has now been broadened to encompass second yellow cards and cards issued to the incorrect team. IFAB have additionally sanctioned a series of measures to combat tactics intended to disrupt the rhythm of matches which take effect this summer.

The effective implementation of the eight-second rule for goalkeepers has encouraged IFAB to advance further on attempts to prevent players from delaying the game.

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Officials will be granted the authority to initiate a five-second countdown if they believe players are taking excessive time over throw-ins and dead-ball goal kicks. Another change is that substitutions must be concluded within no more than 10 seconds, otherwise the substitute must remain off for at least one minute.

The IFAB also determined at its annual general meeting in Wales on Saturday to impose a period of at least one minute off the pitch for any player whose injury causes a stoppage in play. The Premier League has been testing a 30-second timeframe, but certain members within the IFAB felt this wasn’t sufficient to act as a proper deterrent.

Alternative competitions had experimented with extended periods, with two minutes tested at last year’s Arab Cup.

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The objective behind all the measures due to be implemented is to preserve the game’s rhythm whilst also helping to cut down on additional time for interruptions, which poses issues from a player welfare standpoint, for fans and for broadcasters’ timetables.

Amendments approved on Saturday will formally become part of football’s laws from July 1 but will be introduced at this summer’s World Cup which begins on June 11. IFAB also sanctioned trials to be carried out to further evaluate goalkeeper tactical injury delays and to suggest alternatives to discourage this conduct.

Rulemakers are insistent that VAR reviews on corners must not hold up the kick being taken and will only be utilised to identify clear mistakes. Corner-kick reviews will be optional, rather than a compulsory element of the VAR framework.

VARs will also exclusively examine wrongly-given second yellow cards. They will not advise referees to brandish a second yellow card where one wasn’t shown on the pitch.

The IFAB will also conduct consultations to devise measures addressing players exiting the pitch as a form of protest against a referee’s decision or team officials instigating such action, and instances where players cover their mouth when confronting opponents during matches.

The Africa Cup of Nations final was postponed due to a walk-off by Senegal, whilst Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni is accused of racially abusing Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior during a Champions League match last week whilst his mouth was covered by his shirt. UEFA is probing the incident and Prestianni denies racially abusing Vinicius.