Video assistant referees will wield expanded authority to intervene during this summer’s World Cup regarding infractions committed immediately prior to the ball entering play at set-pieces, the International Football Association Board announced.

The newly enacted regulations empower the video assistant referee (VAR) to intercede if an unambiguous infraction perpetrated by the attacking squad before the ball is live directly influences a goal, a penalty kick, or a disciplinary penalty.

"The IFAB has approved a clarification to the video assistant referee protocol for use at the 2026 FIFA World Cup regarding clear offences committed by the attacking team before the ball is in play at a corner kick or free kick that have a direct impact on a goal, penalty kick, or disciplinary sanction," the governing body stated. "If the offence meets the criteria set out in the clarification, VAR will recommend an on-field review, following which, if the referee determines that an offence occurred before the ball was in play, the appropriate disciplinary action will be taken, and the corner kick or free kick will be retaken."

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Prior to the formal declaration, former elite referee Pierluigi Collina—who currently serves as FIFA's chief refereeing officer and chairman of the FIFA referees committee—cited England's goal during a 1-1 friendly match against Uruguay in March as an example of a scoring play that VAR could invalidate under the revised protocol.

Collina contended that the goal scored by Ben White should have been disallowed because Adam Wharton executed an obvious block to obstruct defender José María Giménez from contesting the ball moments before the corner kick was executed.

"We are convinced that this goal cannot stand, it is completely unfair..." Collina remarked. "If a foul is committed just before the ball is in play, we are convinced that nobody can object to something."

The technological system was already scheduled to assume a broader operational scope beginning this summer. Replay officials will gain the capacity to review red cards resulting from erroneous second cautions, rectify instances of mistaken identity involving a second yellow card, and intervene if a corner kick has been mistakenly awarded in lieu of a goal kick.

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Clamping Down on Behavioural Tactics

FIFA officials also announced that competitors who obscure their mouths with a hand, arm, or jersey will face straight red cards if match officials determine the exchange is not an amicable conversation. Conversely, non-confrontational dialogues in which athletes shield their mouths from public view will remain permissible without disciplinary recourse.

Additionally, soccer's global governing hierarchy is determined to suppress the burgeoning practice of squads exploiting player injuries to disrupt the rhythm of play and conduct tactical huddles while medical staff administer treatment on the pitch.

While IFAB deliberated on the matter in March without engineering a formal solution, Collina noted that the administrative challenge was scrutinised during a recent technical workshop attended by the head coaches of all 48 nations qualified for the upcoming World Cup.

Although match officials lack specific punitive sanctions to combat mid-game huddles, Collina emphasised that referees will adopt a proactive stance to prevent teams from deriving an inequitable competitive advantage from medical stoppages.

"We will not allow the teams going to the benches when a goalkeeper is lying on the ground injured," Collina stated. "The goalkeeper has the right to be injured, but the players do not have the right to leave the field of play to have some sort of time out with their respective coaches."

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The chief refereeing officer acknowledged that establishing an industry-wide consensus regarding formal penalties remains an ongoing challenge.

"I'm afraid we didn't get a shared solution [on sanctions], a solution agreed by everybody," Collina added. "For this season, IFAB didn't take any decision. Certainly, something will be done in the future. For the time being, we rely on players' understanding of the problem. We told them, 'be aware that we know,' so what we can avoid is having all the players off the field of play. There are captains, there are coaches, so certainly referees will be ready to face something like this if it should happen."

With inputs from ESPN