The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has approved several changes to the Laws of the Game for the 2025/26 season. One key amendment involves Law 12.2, which now stipulates that goalkeepers holding the ball for more than eight seconds will result in a corner kick being awarded to the opposing team. This decision was made after trials demonstrated a significant positive impact in reducing the time goalkeepers hold onto the ball.
The referee will use a visual five-second countdown to determine when the eight-second limit has been exceeded. This change aims to promote fair play and prevent time-wasting. The IFAB’s decision to introduce this new rule is a significant development in the ongoing efforts to improve the game and ensure that it is played in a fair and sporting manner.
The IFAB’s 139th Annual General Meeting also introduced guidelines for competitions to adopt the principle of only allowing team captains to approach referees in specific situations. This move aims to foster greater cooperation and respect between captains, referees, and players, and to promote fairness and mutual respect in the game. The new edition of the Laws of the Game, which will come into effect on 1 July 2025, will feature these amendments and provide further guidance on their implementation:
- Law 8.2 (Dropped ball): If the ball is outside the penalty area when play is stopped, it is dropped for the team that had or would have gained possession if this is clear to the referee; otherwise, it is dropped for the team that last touched it. The ball is dropped at its position when play was stopped.
- Law 9.2 (Ball in play): An indirect free kick with no disciplinary sanction will be awarded if a team official, substitute, substituted or sent-off player or player who is temporarily off the field of play touches the ball as it is leaving the field of play and there was no intention to interfere unfairly.
- Video assistant referee (VAR) protocol: Competitions now have the option for the referee to make an announcement after a VAR review or lengthy VAR check.
- Practical guidelines for match officials: As the VAR can monitor goal/no goal decisions and goalkeeper encroachment, the assistant referee should be positioned in line with the penalty mark, which is the offside line.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has announced that the new Laws of the Game will come into effect at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, which kicks off on June 14, 2025. This decision allows competitions starting before July 1, 2025, to implement the new laws earlier or delay their implementation until the start of the next competition.
Following positive feedback from top-level matches where referees wore body cameras for training and education purposes, The IFAB has supported FIFA’s plan to test body cameras in FIFA competitions. The cameras will be worn by match officials to identify possible future use and develop quality and safety standards. FIFA has confirmed its intention to implement body cameras at the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup as part of the live match transmission.
The IFAB has also decided to conduct additional offside trials in various competitions, aiming to promote attacking football and encourage goal-scoring opportunities while maintaining the sport’s attractiveness. Furthermore, FIFA will extend trials of Football Video Support, a cost-effective system that has shown positive results in several FIFA competitions in 2024. The IFAB meeting also discussed ongoing trials to improve participant behavior and FIFA’s concussion-awareness campaign.
Source : https://www.theifab.com/
