14 Jun 2026 18:55:26
New rules for next season:
• Longer off the pitch after treatment
Players who have received on-field treatment must now remain off the pitch for at least one minute (increased from 30 seconds).
• 5-second restarts
A five-second countdown applies to deliberate delays. Exceeding the limit on a throw-in transfers possession to the opponent; delaying a goal-kick results in an opposition corner.
• 10-second substitutions
Substituted players have 10 seconds to leave the field. If breached, the incoming substitute is frozen out and cannot enter until the first natural stoppage after one minute has passed.
• VAR for second yellows
VAR can now overturn second yellow cards, but it cannot give them.
There will be new areas of focus for referees, most notably around hair-pulling.
• A red card will be issued when there is a clear and deliberate action to pull an opponent's hair with excessive force and/or brutality.
• A yellow card will be issued if the action is deemed to be without excessive force and/or brutality.
• Challenges on goalkeepers will be penalised where an attacking player makes a clear action with no intent to play or challenge for the ball, which results in contact that impacts the ability of the goalkeeper to play or challenge for the ball.
14 Jun 2026 22:06:00
I like the rules to reduce time wasting, especially now we have Iraola. Used to be horrible watching teams try to kill our momentum under Klopp. Didn't happen much against Slot, mainly because we never really had momentum. ?
14 Jun 2026 22:28:36
Indeed, Kopite. Momentum, what's that?
14 Jun 2026 23:37:56
Load of cack if they're still allowed to hold and pull players to ground whilst in the box.
15 Jun 2026 06:07:15
True Scouse J, I'm worried that will still go on, then we'll also see keepers going for balls they were never going to get, then falling over someone and getting a FK for it due to the challenge on GKs ruke. It makes sense on paper, but I don't trust our refs to understand it.
The rules to reduce time wasting are good though, at least.
Although, I think we will see every substituted player on the winning team conveniently having to limp off. The 5 seconds for a throw-in does seem short on reflection. Is this time from when the ball goes out, I wonder? Is the 10 seconds for a goal kick from when they place the ball or when it goes out too?
15 Jun 2026 15:26:09
Well that's Arsenal doing back to back titles.