Overview
- FIFA confirmed on Thursday that referees will use visible five-second hand counts for throw-ins, goal kicks and goalkeepers holding the ball and will award possession to the opponent if play is not restarted in time.
- Players receiving on-field medical treatment must now leave the pitch and may only return after one minute, with clear exceptions for collisions, head injuries and fouls that merit cards.
- Referees can issue a red card when a player covers their mouth during a confrontational exchange because FIFA wants to prevent hidden discriminatory or abusive remarks; the Prestianni–Vinicius case from earlier this year helped prompt this focus.
- FIFA says tests of the treatment rule sharply reduced the number of medical interventions, but former Bundesliga referee Patrick Ittrich warns the compressed rest windows will raise referees’ cognitive load and could increase injury or concentration risks for players.
- The package is part of a broader push to modernize match management, including fixed drinking breaks around minutes 22 and 67 and expanded use of VAR and digital tools, and it will change how teams, match officials and broadcasters manage game flow.