Football new rules: offside, simulations, yellow cards, all the news for 2026

Journalist

December 31, 2025 (changed at 11:08) – MILANO

Appointment on January 20th. Something can change. Not immediately or very immediately, let’s be clear: because first there are the “tests”, the experiments, answers are needed before being able/wanting to change the commandments of football; but then, perhaps from the start of the 2026-27 season or already for the next World Cup, probably yes. On 20 January 2026 the Ifab – International Football Association Board, the sole and unquestionable body responsible for innovating and modifying the rules of football – will close in conclave to make certain innovations already tested definitive, “testable” or officially implementable (for example, the 2′ out in case of request for medical treatment) or to insert other variations initially in the form of testing/verification on the field. There will be 4 topics on the table that could change various things, including the “adjustment” of the VAR protocol and the offside parameters.

And 2 minutes

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Let’s start from what has already been “tested” and with positive results (in the English Premier League they already use it with 30 seconds of pit stops, in the MLS it has been happening for three years and in the Leagues Cup it has been used with two minutes off the pitch): in the Arab Cup the choice of 2′ off the pitch has been put into practice in the event of a request for medical treatment after a clash in play. A report will be drawn up to the Ifab and then a decision will be made and there is no doubt that this could be the innovation that arrives before the others. We remember it, in the words of Pierluigi Collina (no. 1 of the Fifa referees) who anticipated the news: “There is another experience that I believe will be respected and will be useful against fictions: if the player is injured and the staff has entered the field, the player will leave the field itself and will remain outside after the restart of the game for 2 minutes”. The double aim is evident: the safe cure and the simulation which must no longer be tolerated. In those 2′ of the match that will continue anyway, the team will remain with 10 men. The rule has two exceptions: he will not touch the goalkeeper and if the player who caused the “damage” has been warned or sent off.

The offside

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Present in Dubai at the World Sports Summit, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino opened the issue regarding offside: the change – if it happens – will necessarily require experimentation. “Let’s consider the offside rule, which has evolved over the years, requiring the attacker to position himself behind the defender or in line with the defender – said Infantino – Perhaps in the future he will have to be completely in front to be offside.” In practice: there is the idea of ​​validating a goal if at least one of the 4 parts of the body legitimated to score a goal (head, torso, legs, feet) is inside the figure of the defender, conversely giving offside if the complete figure is beyond the last defender. Light, Wenger-style. Always with the semi-automatic electronic offside system (word of).

Wasted time

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Then, the third aspect on the table, a further crackdown on wasting time. Do you know the 8″ for restarting play with the ball in the goalkeeper’s hand? Here: they could also be extended for goal kicks (and there, actually, the time wasted is vast) and also for throw-ins. There is also the hypothesis that those 8″ of possession will be reduced, but this too will be evaluated. In case of excess time, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team. Collina said, a month ago, in this regard: “I noticed that since there were changes with the 8 second rule, no one has incurred the penalty.” Works.

Second yellow

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And the key to everything, then, involves the VAR. The idea, as has been aired for some time, is to open up to check not only for the direct red but also for the so-called ‘second yellow’. Football evolves “and we are continuously improving VAR with increasingly advanced technology to help referees make the right decision” added Infantino. Tough decisions at Ifab.