FIFA and football’s lawmaking body IFAB are preparing a sweeping package of new laws and technologies aimed at reducing time wasting and speeding up matches ahead of upcoming major tournaments.
Central to the plan is using an Adidas “connected ball” chip to decide corner kicks automatically, identifying the last player to touch the ball and alerting VAR and the referee instantly to correct wrong decisions without delays.
The same sensor system, first used at the 2022 World Cup to assist with offside and goal-line calls, will now target controversial corner decisions, a long‑standing concern for referees’ chief Pierluigi Collina. Despite worries that more technology could lengthen games already passing 100 minutes, officials believe automatic signals will actually cut reviews while keeping current VAR protocols intact.
The proposals also include a visible countdown clock: teams would have five seconds to take throw‑ins and goal kicks, plus only 10 seconds to complete substitutions, or the outgoing player must remain off until the next stoppage.
IFAB will also study temporary VAR use for second yellow cards, tighten enforcement of the “eight‑second” goalkeeper rule, and expand trials forcing injured players treated off the pitch to stay out for two minutes unless the foul produced a booking.
Data from England shows long throw‑ins alone have added about a minute of dead time while actual playing time has dropped by 90 seconds per game, strengthening the push for tougher measures.
Further offside experiments, inspired by Arsène Wenger’s “light gap” and torso‑based ideas, will continue, with European federations favouring the more balanced torso option.
A key London meeting this week will shape the framework, with final approval expected at next month’s IFAB assembly in Cardiff, paving the way for a faster, more efficient World Cup.
