Overview
- - VAR will now be able to review corner decisions, a second yellow that leads to a sending‑off, and cases where the wrong player or even the wrong team is penalized.
- - Referees will use a visible five‑second countdown for delayed throw‑ins and goal‑kicks, with possession flipped to the opponent if the ball is not put back in play in time.
- - Substituted players must leave within ten seconds of the board being shown, and any player treated on the field must remain off for one minute after play restarts.
- - The rules take effect on June 1, 2026 and could be applied at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, though adoption in domestic competitions is not automatic.
- - German officials and analysts, including DFB VAR chief Jochen Drees and former referee Thorsten Kinhöfer, criticized the changes for reintroducing subjective judgments and potentially affecting match flow.