By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
FIFA and The International Football Association Board (The IFAB) have revealed some new changes to football’s Laws of the Game for the 2025/26 season, including changes to goalkeeper time limits and the introduction of Football Video Support.
Speaking about the success of Football Video Support, tested at the FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women’s World Cups, FIFA Secretary General Mattias, said: “The technology was received very positively by coaches. This will be a great step to democratise technology and refereeing,” he said, adding that FIFA aims to make it more affordable for lower-tier leagues.
A major rule change involves goalkeepers holding the ball too long. IFAB amended Law 12.2, stating that if a goalkeeper holds the ball for over eight seconds, after a five-second visual countdown, the opposing team will be awarded a corner kick instead of an indirect free kick.
Other updates include new guidelines for team captains (Law 3.10) to improve communication with referees and reduce dissent, along with refinements to dropped ball (Law 8.2) and ball-in-play (Law 9.2) procedures. Competitions may also allow referees to announce VAR decisions publicly.
The Arsene Wenger’s New Off-Game:
A player will only be called offside if his entire body exceeds the line of the last defender.
So the offside of a few millimeters is over.
The Decisions Of Every Referee Will Be Explained On The Mic Of The Whole Stadium:
After consulting the VAR, the referees will explain their decision with a microphone to all spectators present in the stadium.
The Challenger System:
Each coach will be able to ask in limited numbers for the use of VAR during the match to review an action they deem controversial or disagree with
The Referee Will Be Able To Stop The Time:
The referees will be able to stop the timer to study a litigation situation or in case of a major injury, to avoid time wasting and prioritise effective game time.
These amendments, effective July 1, 2025, aim to enhance fairness, efficiency, and technology use in football.
First change to the law since its introduction in 1998.
