FIFA Weighs New Rules to Speed Up the Game

The 2026 World Cup just months away, FIFA is considering bold changes to the "Laws of the Game" to combat time-wasting and improve match flow. The proposed updates, which could debut across North America this summer, represent some of the most significant shifts in modern Football history.

The "Two-Minute" Medical Rule The most discussed proposal targets players who stay down for medical attention to disrupt an opponent's momentum. Under the new rule, any player receiving treatment on the pitch must remain on the sidelines for at least two minutes after play resumes.

This leaves the injured player's team temporarily shorthanded, a penalty designed to discourage feigned injuries. Exceptions would be made for: Goalkeepers, who are vital for safety and play. Serious fouls resulting in a yellow or red card for the opponent.

FIFA recently trialed this rule at the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar, where officials noted it significantly reduced unnecessary stoppages.

Rethinking Offside: The "Wenger Law" FIFA is also evaluating a radical overhaul of the offside rule, popularized by Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger. Currently, an attacker is offside if any part of their body that can score a goal is ahead of the last defender.

The proposed "Wenger Law" flips this: a player would only be offside if their entire body is ahead of the defender. This change aims to favor attacking play and eliminate the controversial "toenail" offside calls currently scrutinized by VAR.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is scheduled to meet in early 2026 to review data from recent trials. Their decision will determine whether these rules along with a proposed eight-second limit for goalkeepers to release the ball will be officially implemented for the World Cup kickoff on June 11, 2026.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on June 11, 2026, in Mexico City and ends on July 19, 2026, in New Jersey. Morocco won the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup, where the medical rule was trialed.