At its Annual Business Meeting (ABM) held in London, The IFAB focused on various measures aimed at continuing to improve match flow and reduce tempo disruption. Following positive global feedback on the change made in the Laws of the Game 2025/26 to prevent goalkeepers from holding the ball for too long, other measures to reduce tempo disruption were agreed. One such amendment would involve applying the countdown principle to throw-ins and goal kicks, enabling referees to start counting down when players are delaying the taking of those restarts. Following recommendations made by The IFAB’s Football and Technical Advisory Panels in October 2025, the meeting proposed amendments to the Laws of the Game that would require players who receive on-field injury treatment or assessment to leave the field of play and remain off it for a fixed period (to be determined) after play has restarted. The meeting also agreed that a ten-second time limit should be enforced for players leaving the field of play when being substituted.
In relation to the video assistant referee (VAR) protocol, the ABM recommended that VAR intervention should remain restricted to four match-changing situations (goal/no goal, penalty/no penalty, red cards and mistaken identity), but with three specific extensions that would not overly interrupt the flow of the game or slow down play. The ABM proposed that, where there is clear factual evidence, video match officials should be permitted to review red cards resulting from incorrect second yellow cards, as well as cases of mistaken identity in which the wrong team is penalised for an offence resulting in a red or yellow card. The meeting also proposed that competitions be permitted the option for video match officials to review instances of a clearly wrongly awarded corner kick, provided that this can be done immediately and without delaying the restart. The ABM agreed to continue with offside trials, and further updates were provided on developments in semi-automated offside technology and the ongoing FIFA-led trial of Football Video Support, both of which have been successfully implemented at FIFA tournaments and in several domestic competitions. The ABM was also informed about trials involving referees wearing body cameras at grassroots and senior levels and expressed support for incorporating their use as an option for competitions in the Laws of the Game. The ABM determines the agenda for The IFAB’s Annual General Meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Wales on Saturday, 28 February 2026.
Source: IFAB
