Them's the rules
From new VAR rules to yellow card amnesties, expect some regulation changes – and talking points – at this year’s tournament
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- Ned Holmes
Set piece/sub/medical timers
Fifa has introduced what it calls “landmark changes to reduce tempo disruption” at this year’s World Cup. This will mean a five-second countdown on throw-ins and goal kicks, a 10-second timer for substituted players, and a one-minute wait off the pitch for players who receive medical treatment.
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Drinks breaks
To counteract high temperatures and a longer tournament, all 104 matches will include three-minute drinks breaks in each half – at the 22 and 67-minute mark. BBC and ITV will not show trails or ads during these breaks.
Red cards for covering mouths
In an attempt to stamp out discrimination on the pitch, players who cover their mouths and insult opponents can be red-carded. “It’s a very discretionary decision,” says ITV rules analyst Christina Unkel. “It’s not automatic, it’s not if someone covers their mouth they’re out. Context is going to be very important.”
Yellow card suspensions
Players who accumulate two bookings will still get an automatic one-match ban. However, so that fewer players are suspended for key elimination games, both cards will be cancelled after both the group stage and the quarter-finals. They were wiped only once at previous tournaments.
Extended VAR powers
The powers of VAR have been extended to include reviewing second yellow cards, incorrectly awarded corners, and incidents where the wrong player is shown a card in a case of mistaken identity.
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Handball
Referees are expected to be more lenient on handballs than in Uefa competitions, such as the Champions League, and implement the law like Premier League officials. “The thresholds for handball are higher at an international competition,” Unkel says. “If referees are making a game-changing decision, they have to believe in it.”
Authors
Ned Holmes
Ned is a sports writer at RadioTimes.com. He has covered a host of sports from EFL football, international cricket and golf all the way through to bike polo and triathlon.
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