IFAB to consult on mouth-covering players, confirm VAR and countdown changes

Consultations will be held about measures to combat players covering their mouth when confronting opponents during matches, it was announced on Saturday, alongside a bout of rule changes ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the laws of football, said it will consult about mouth-covering, after Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni was alleged to have racially abused Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior during a Champions League match last week while his mouth was covered by his shirt.

UEFA is investigating the incident and Prestianni denies racially abusing Vinícius.

Notably, VAR’s powers have also been extended by IFAB.

Using VAR to check corners will be an option for competitions from this summer, while the core VAR protocol has now been widened to cover second yellow cards and cards awarded to the wrong team.

IFAB also approved a package of measures to counter tactics designed to disrupt the tempo of matches which come into effect this summer.

The successful introduction of the eight-second rule for goalkeepers has encouraged IFAB to go further on efforts to stop players slowing the game.

Referees will be given the power to start a five-second countdown if they feel players are taking too long over throw-ins and dead-ball goal kicks, and substitutions must be completed in no more than 10 seconds, otherwise the substitute must stay off for at least one minute.

The IFAB also decided at its annual general meeting in Wales on Saturday to enforce a period of at least one minute off the field for any player whose injury forces a stoppage in play.

The Premier League has been trialling a 30-second period, but some within the IFAB did not feel this was long enough to serve as a deterrent. Other competitions had tested longer periods, with two minutes trialled at last year’s Arab Cup.

The aim with all the measures set to be adopted is to maintain the tempo of the game but also to help reduce time to be added on for stoppages, which is a problem from a player welfare perspective, for supporters and for broadcasters’ schedules.

Changes agreed on Saturday will officially become part of the laws of the game from July 1 but will be adopted at this summer’s World Cup which kicks off on June 11.

The IFAB also agreed trials be conducted to further assess goalkeeper tactical injury delays and to propose options to deter this behaviour.

Lawmakers are adamant VAR checks on corners must not delay the kick being taken and will only be used to spot obvious errors. Corner-kick checks will be an option, rather than a mandatory part of the VAR protocol.

VARs will also only check incorrectly-awarded second yellow cards. They will not advise referees to issue a second yellow card where one was not shown on the field.

Information from PA was used in this report.