[78915] New Rule in 2026 World Cup: Penalty for Delaying Substitutions
New Rule in 2026 World Cup: Penalty for Delaying Substitutions
FIFA is implementing a new rule ahead of the 2026 World Cup that penalizes teams whose substitutions take longer than 10 seconds, as seen in the friendly match between Japan and Iceland.
Dramatic Change in Football Rules Ahead of 2026 World Cup
Ahead of the upcoming World Cup matches, FIFA is introducing a significant reform to refereeing rules, aimed at speeding up the pace of the game. According to reports in Iranian sports channels, starting from the upcoming tournament, if a player substitution procedure takes longer than 10 seconds, the substitute player will not be allowed to enter the pitch until the next stoppage of play, leaving the team at a temporary numerical disadvantage.
The rule caused a stir after it was first applied in the friendly match between the national teams of Japan and Iceland. According to a report by Varzesh3 channel, the incident led directly to Japan's winning goal, as Iceland became the "first victim" of the new regulation.
The media outlets Akharin Khabar Varzeshi and Akharin Khabar also confirmed the details, emphasizing that this is a change with great strategic significance for coaches. According to their wording, the rule states that the substitute player will be forced to wait at least a minute until their entry is approved if they exceed the allotted time. These are well-known sports channels in Iran, which covered the event as part of the global preparation for the tournament, without presenting opposing views to FIFA's technical report.