Overview
- Pierluigi Collina presented and published the consolidated refereeing package that will govern officiating at the 2026 World Cup.
- A total of 170 referees and officials, including a record eight from France, will meet in Miami starting Tuesday 2 June for final seminars and practical training.
- New match‑flow controls include five‑second countdowns for throw‑ins and goalkeeper restarts and a ten‑second limit for exiting substitutes that can leave a team temporarily one player short.
- VAR will have an expanded remit to correct wrong‑corner awards, mistaken team bookings, second‑yellow sendings‑off and certain set‑piece errors before play resumes.
- Early use in friendlies produced an immediate impact when Japan scored after Iceland was reduced to ten players during a substitution delay, showing how the rules can change results and add pressure to referees across a 104‑match tournament.