The Laws of the Game: Proposed Changes & General Discussion

Ah ok. I agree then. The ref should have the final call for subjective decisions. Even though in practice, it seems he always agrees with the VAR no matter how debatable and unclear it is.

 

There are some times when VAR suggests to a Ref to look at the replay and the Ref says no.
People do not realize how often that occurs because we do not hear what is in his/her ear piece.

 

MLS’s experimental rule changes that cut time-wasting, sped up play are going global | MLS | The Guardian

This is a good change.

First time I hear of the stampede kick.

 

I kinda liked the stampede kick in the early years of MLS. It was more interesting than the standard spot kicks used to determine matches.
But after all these years I don’t really see an application for it. Keepers would probably get injured and complain too much.

 

I don't understand how the second rule works in practce:
"... removes a player from the match for a minute if they spend more than 15 seconds on the ground after an injury. .... There are exceptions (for) injured players"

So, a team is penalized when an injured player delays the game for >15 seconds, but if the player is injured no penalty? Sounds contradictory.

I guess they mean feigning injury for >15 seconds, but how do you know if the player is faking a leg cramp or not?

 

In 1990, Chile tried a long penalty kick, where if a team had a foul 25 meters or closer to the goal lines, they could choose to do a penalty kick from the penalty arc.

The long kicks had a high conversion rate, so teams started to do anything to get fouled.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_largo

 

hmm... interesting.

But I think why all these attempts to replace the PK have failed so hard is because the PK is simply quite good. There's both a mental and physical aspect. If the kick was from farther out, you wouldn't have that mental aspect - it would all be about whether the kicker is able to find a corner of the goal with power. And for the 'keeper it would all come down to his reaction and athleticism. Zero thinking, zero mind games involved.

 

That's crazy. My nana could score a PK on Donnarumma. It's 100% luck. You could just as easily flip a coin, as long as it was weighted 90/10.

 

My money is on D'rumma and Haaland over you and your nana.

 

I'm not sure if this is the correct thread; but, as I feared, FIFA is doing commercials during the mandatory (even if a game is indoors in a climate-controlled stadium) water breaks about mid-way through each half. I wonder if this will spread to other leagues, or just to tournaments FIFA controls. It's regrettable that games keep getting longer. Maybe this time to rest and get tactical advice from coaches will not be bad for the actual entertainment value, but it is being done for the wrong reasons. I'm interested in other's thoughts.

 

I don't like it one bit. And yes, it will probably spread.

Breaks should exist where needed (climate) - not otherwise. Football is supposed to be a free-flowing sport. As much as possible. And some VAR decisions already take a lot of time.

 

To be fair, even supposed Climate controlled stadiums can get stuffy. I was at the Gold Cup in Houston and it was still kinda hot and uncomfortable. Not as bad as outdoors but still not as nice as I thought it would be. And that was just sitting down drinking margaritas.

 

Its more difficult to pull off these stunts in club football as the fans' have more power.

Also, its one thing in a summer tournament being played in a continent that gets hot in July -- You could sell it like "since 80% of the matches will require water breaks anyway, might as well standardize it".
How do you sell a TV timeout to fans at a Newcastle match in January freezing their arses off for a match that isn't even shown on TV in England?

 

I'd like to discuss the major rule changes that will occur during the World Cup:

1) A five second count down for throw-ins and Goal Kicks.
Punishment being change of possession for throw-in, and corner kick for the other team for a GK violation.

I do not like it. I do not hate it. I get that they want to stop all the time wasting and want more action late in games so I won't complain about it too much. I could see a smart team probably still finding ways to waste more time if they really wanted to though. Maybe the Keeper goal kick scooping up the ball to his teammate to head it back to him to catch so he can waste eight more seconds.

Savvy Players have a way of finding ways to waste time if they really want to. It is just going urge players to be more creative in their time wasting. But the spirit of the rule is okay I suppose.


2) 10 second limit on subs getting off the field.
Punishment being that player gets off the field and the new sub has to wait a minute before coming on to the field. (essentially making your team play a man down for a minute.)

This one I guess is also in the same spirit as the previous rule change. People do not like guys wasting time, I get it. I guess shaking everyone's hands is not going to be done anymore by the guys who used that tactic to waste more time. My favorite was seeing the players shake the hand of the Ref.


3) Minimum 1 minute being sent off the pitch if injury has caused play to be stopped.
At first I did not like it but I can see its application. Once again, they are trying to get rid of time wasting and in this case get rid of fake injuries. The only problem I see is savvy players using this rule in the other way, meaning deliberately injuring opposing players near the goal, having that player get off and having a 11V10 advantage for a minute late in games. It would kinda be worth a yellow card to some but of course risking red if the foul for injury is too egregious.

 

VAR rule changes:

1) VAR to check corner kicks. "where these can be quickly rectified and do not delay the restart." However, if the ball is kicked before the review is over play must go on.

I don't mind it as long as they keep that promise of no delay and they analyze it quickly.
The ramifications are though some teams will kick the ball as fast as possible if they know the ball went over the line or it is too close they do not want the risk to lose the possession. I rather they get the call right then just default to quickness of play. But it is difficult to balance both of course.

2) Protocol will be extended to also allow VARs to check red cards resulting from a second yellow card, and advise referees to review where that second caution is clearly incorrect. It is also proposed VAR be able to intervene where a red or yellow card is awarded to the wrong team.

I have nothing against this other than the fact that looking at things real time on field can be so different than looking at things in slow motion on a television. Many of these calls are so subjective it could get messy. (Even more messy than it actually is today.)

 

The easy workaround here is that the goalie gets an exception. My team's GK got a leg cramp in almost every single game last season, and coincidentally it was at an opportune moment for a water break, coaching discussion, time wasting.

 

If we see a huge influx of Keepers getting injured during the World Cup to waste time late in games then we know what they are doing.

 

I like this new rule because this is about more than just time wasting. Many teams now have a throw-in specialist for throw ins that occur in the offensive one-third of the pitch. This leads to a pause in the action that is as long as for a corner kick. And throw ins are more common than corner kicks.

Since these are now viewed as real scoring opportunities, a pause in the action for teams to get set up for the throw in will occur whether the team with the ball is winning 2-0, losing 2-0, in minute 80 or minute 2. So, it is quite prevalent.

 

Regardless of the merits of these changes, the World Cup is NOT the place to introduce them. Use them in the leagues before applying them to world cup. The players get used to them and the kinks can be worked out.

 

Similar rules have been introduced in some cases. But not all of them and to this extent. I personally do not care much. Especially since this World Cup is (mostly) in the USA and many of these rules will probably be embraced by the fans in the USA. (And Canada I imagine.)

But I respect your opinion and won't argue against people who do not like these changes being applied so soon in such a big event.

 

Also, on the other side of the coin I kinda like rewarding good coaches and smart/ disciplined players who know the rules.

A Good coaching staff (and team captains) will gather the team together next FIFA break and go over these rule changes diligently. They would focus on it in training and scrimmages. And have time in at least three friendlies to get used to the rules or apply them in their heads.
Smart coaching and smart teams should be rewarded.
(And ignorant teams get punished.)

 

2018 WC saw the debut of VAR in a World Cup tournament. FIFA made sure to *test it* by executing it in both 2016 CWC and 2017 Confeds Cup.

Only one new rule was tested during 2025 CWC: 8-second limit for goalie handling the ball.

FIFA must be really desperate at distracting public opinion from real WC issues, by fabricating a rushed introduction of game rules.

Last time I checked, one 2026 WC stadium has ignored FIFA specs for pitch substrate. Be prepared to watch *the ball jumping like a rabbit* this summer. It is 2025 CWC all over again.

 

so if a keeper is injured and the play needs to be stopped, the keeper needs to be sidelined for 1 minute?

that might be challenging! :-D

 

Again, there is an easy work-around.

And, yes, goalkeepers will take advantage of that loophole, but in practice I only see them doing so late in matches (for the most part). And that's still better than 22 players creating stoppages from start to finish of matches.