- Football's governing body, Fifa , has prohibited the practice of goalkeepers feigning injury to allow teammates to receive tactical instructions from coaches on the touchline, a measure aimed at preventing time-wasting at the World Cup .
- Under the new rules, if a goalkeeper is injured, players from both teams must remain in their positions or gather in the centre circle, strictly forbidden from approaching the touchline for coaching advice.
- Further measures to speed up play include a five-second countdown for throw-ins and goal-kicks, with penalties for deliberate delays, and a ten-second limit for substituted players to leave the field at the nearest point, otherwise the team plays with ten men for a minute.
- Players covering their mouths during confrontational exchanges with opponents may now face a red card, a rule introduced following a high-profile incident involving alleged racist abuse.
- Video Assistant Referee ( VAR ) protocols have been updated, granting VAR new powers to intervene if clear fouls are committed by the attacking team immediately before the ball is in play at set-pieces, impacting a goal, penalty, or disciplinary sanction.
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