Football’s lawmakers have extended VAR’s remit to cover corners and second yellow cards while introducing strict new measures to combat time-wasting.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) ratified the changes at their annual general meeting in Wales on Saturday.
These updates to the laws of the game will officially come into effect on 1 July.
However, the new protocols are set to be adopted immediately for the World Cup beginning on 11 June.
Expanded video review powers
Video assistant referees will now have the option to check corner kicks for the first time.
The board emphasised that these checks are not mandatory and must only be used to spot obvious errors without delaying the restart.
The core protocol has also been widened to allow reviews of incorrectly awarded second yellow cards.
Technology can now be utilised to identify cases of mistaken identity where a sanction is given to the wrong player.
However, officials in the booth will not be permitted to advise on-field referees to issue a second caution if one was originally missed during live play.
Crackdown on time-wasting
Beyond technology, the global governing body approved a package of measures designed to maintain the tempo of matches.
Referees will be empowered to start a five-second countdown if they perceive delays over throw-ins or goal kicks.
Substitutions must now be completed within a strict 10-second window.
Failure to leave the pitch in that time will result in the incoming player waiting on the sideline for at least one minute before entering.
Further deterrents include a mandatory one-minute period off the field for any player requiring treatment that forces a stoppage.
The Premier League had previously trialled a 30-second window for injuries, but lawmakers felt a longer duration was required to stop tactical disruptions.
Future trials and player conduct
Ifab also agreed to conduct specific trials to assess tactical injury delays by goalkeepers.
New consultations will be held to address teams walking off in protest against decisions.
The board is also looking into banning players from covering their mouths during confrontations to hide potential abuse.
These discussions follow recent high-profile incidents involving Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations and Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr.
Jurgen Klopp has vowed to host a “parade” at his Mallorca home if Manchester City are stripped of their Premier League titles following the investigation into alleged financial breaches.
The former Liverpool manager guided his side to second-place finishes behind Pep Guardiola’s team in both the 2018-19 and 2021-22 campaigns.
The Reds lost out on the trophy by a single point on both occasions, despite recording historic points tallies.
Manchester City are currently awaiting a verdict from an independent commission regarding over 100 alleged breaches of financial regulations between 2009 and 2018.
While the reigning champions have consistently denied any wrongdoing, speculation continues regarding potential punishments, including the retrospective removal of honours.
Klopp offers beer and garden party
Speaking at his first public appearance since becoming Red Bull’s head of global soccer, the 57-year-old addressed the possibility of Liverpool retrospectively inheriting those league crowns.
Klopp admitted the topic had been discussed with colleagues prior to his departure from Anfield last summer.
“If it would happen, I told all the people who wanted to [come]: ‘Just book a flight to Mallorca. I will buy the beer!'” said the German.
“We’d have our own parade in my garden.”
Commission verdict expected soon
The Premier League referred the Etihad club to an independent commission in February 2023 regarding the charges.
The case, which has been described as the “trial of the century”, has now been ongoing for nearly two years.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire recently suggested that the three-person panel is likely approaching the final stages of their judgment.
Should the commission find against the Manchester club, sanctions could range from fines to significant points deductions or expulsion from the league.
Such a verdict could theoretically result in the rewriting of Premier League history books, though no precedent currently exists for stripping titles in the competition.
Borussia Dortmund host arch-rivals Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga today as they look to bounce back from a devastating European exit.
Der Klassiker returns
The 139th edition of Germany’s biggest fixture takes place at Signal Iduna Park this evening.
Dortmund enter the match reeling from a Champions League play-off defeat by Atalanta.
Niko Kovac’s side had entered the second leg with a two-goal advantage.
However, a late collapse saw Ramy Bensebaini sent off and Lazar Samardzic score a stoppage-time penalty to eliminate the German club.
Kane leads Bayern charge
The visitors arrive in North Rhine-Westphalia in formidable form.
The Bavarians sit eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table with 13 matches remaining.
Harry Kane has been pivotal to their domestic dominance.
The England captain has registered 43 goals and five assists in just 36 appearances this campaign.
History favors the league leaders, who have won more than twice as many Klassikers as their opponents.
TV channel and live stream
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Football.
Coverage is scheduled to begin at 17:20 GMT ahead of a 17:30 kick-off.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also follow the action live online via the Sky Go app and website.
Mohamed Salah is enduring the longest goal drought of his Premier League career despite re-establishing himself in the Liverpool starting line-up under Arne Slot.
The Egypt captain was one of the first players to depart the dressing room following Sunday’s victory at Nottingham Forest.
When approached for comment, the forward politely declined with a smile before heading to the team bus, cutting a relaxed figure despite the speculation surrounding him.
Tension and reconciliation
The scene marked a stark contrast to his explosive interview at Elland Road two months ago.
Salah had previously claimed the club “threw him under the bus” after being omitted from the starting XI for three consecutive matches.
Sources indicate the 33-year-old considered releasing a social media statement but chose to speak out publicly due to the depth of his frustration.
“I don’t know why but it seems to me that someone doesn’t want me in the club,” he stated at the time.
However, the situation appears to have de-escalated significantly since that outburst.
The former Roma winger apologised to his team-mates and shook hands with manager Arne Slot, who insisted the matter was resolved.
Return to the fold
Since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in January, Salah has started every game for the Reds.
While the club’s injury crisis has necessitated his inclusion, his application has drawn praise from his head coach.
Following a goal and an assist in the FA Cup victory over Brighton, Slot highlighted the attacker’s work ethic.
“What I like the most is he is scoring goals [which you] almost expect – but he also helps the team a lot defensively and that is something very positive,” said Slot.
This defensive improvement is backed by data, showing an increase in possession recovery compared to the previous campaign.
A worrying statistical drop-off
Despite his reintroduction to the side, the prolific forward is currently navigating uncharted waters regarding his output.
Salah has registered two goals and four assists in eight games across all competitions since his return from international duty.
However, he has not found the net in the Premier League since November.
Failure to score against West Ham at Anfield on Saturday would extend his barren run to 10 top-flight matches.
This represents the longest goal drought of his distinguished Premier League career.
“He sets his own standards and those are so, so high that the moment he doesn’t score for a few games, people are immediately surprised. That’s probably the biggest compliment he can get,” Slot admitted on Friday.
The numbers illustrate a clear decline, with his average goal and assist contribution dropping to 0.56 per game this season, down from 1.25 last term.
Jeremie Frimpong is set to return for Liverpool against West Ham United this weekend, offering relief to Arne Slot after an injury crisis that has seen seven different players used at right-back this season.
A difficult transition
The Netherlands international is poised to feature on Saturday after recovering from his latest fitness setback.
Since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen, the defender has suffered three separate hamstring injuries.
Arne Slot has previously suggested the intensity of the Premier League has contributed to the player’s difficult adjustment period.
The stop-start nature of his Anfield career mirrors the issues faced by Trent Alexander-Arnold following his summer move to Real Madrid.
The curse of the seven right-backs
Liverpool have faced unprecedented instability in defense throughout the current campaign.
Slot has been forced to utilize seven different players in the right-back position due to a cascade of injuries.
Conor Bradley has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
Experienced defender Joe Gomez has also seen his playing time rationed to prevent recurring fitness issues.
The crisis deepened when Wataru Endo sustained a foot injury while deputising in the back four, ruling him out for the foreseeable future.
Midfield balance disrupted
The defensive shortage has had significant knock-on effects for the team’s structure further forward.
Dominik Szoboszlai has frequently been moved from his preferred midfield role to cover the vacant defensive slot.
Curtis Jones has also been deployed as a makeshift solution, while Calvin Ramsay has been restricted to cup appearances.
The club attempted to address the issue late in the winter window by targeting Feyenoord’s Lutsharel Geertruida.
However, the loan move for the Dutchman failed to materialise.
Slot will hope Frimpong’s return brings much-needed consistency to a position that has defined Liverpool’s season for the wrong reasons.
Tottenham interim boss Igor Tudor has admitted his side are physically "not in an amazing position" as they prepare for a crucial week in their fight against relegation.
Spurs sit just four points above the Premier League drop zone and are still searching for their first league victory of 2026.
The north Londoners face Fulham this weekend in a match viewed as must-win, but their preparations have been hampered by a debilitating injury list.
Injury crisis hampers high-pressing style
The Croatian head coach is attempting to implement a high-intensity pressing system but concedes his depleted squad is struggling to adapt.
Despite the return of defenders Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso, nine first-team players remain unavailable due to injury or suspension.
"Physically, I believe, we are not in an amazing situation," said Tudor.
"They have played lots of games in the last period without lots of players available and it meant the physical condition of the team has dropped down."
Tudor emphasised the need to utilise training time to restore energy levels within the group.
"We need to use this period where we don’t play the games to put some petrol in the engine so the engine starts to work better."
Tudor tight-lipped on medical issues
The 47-year-old hinted at frustration regarding the club’s fitness crisis but refused to be drawn into specific criticism of the situation.
"I have my thoughts, I have opinions here, but I keep them to myself," he stated.
With the squad threadbare, inexperienced players are being forced to manage the significant mental and physical load of a survival battle.
The former Marseille boss believes this pressure represents a unique challenge for his younger stars to mature quickly.
"Some players are still young. They were brought here to help and now maybe they are in a moment where they need to resolve the problems," Tudor explained.
"If you have too many of these players because of the amount of injuries who are playing together in the squad, it does create some problems, but it is also an opportunity and a challenge to grow fast."
Tottenham must now navigate a pivotal run of fixtures, starting with Fulham followed by Crystal Palace, as they look to secure their Premier League status.
Wolves 1-0 Aston Villa
Wolves secured a dramatic victory over Midlands rivals Aston Villa after goalkeeper Jose Sa produced a stunning save deep into stoppage time to deny Amadou Onana.
Gary O’Neil’s side claimed all three points at Molineux in a tense Premier League encounter.
The hosts looked set to concede a heartbreaking equaliser in the 97th minute when the ball fell to the Belgian midfielder inside the box.
Onana connected cleanly with the strike, which appeared destined to snatch a point for Unai Emery’s visitors.
However, the Portuguese shot-stopper reacted instinctively to tip the effort away and preserve the clean sheet.
Derby drama at Molineux
It was a moment of redemption for Sa, who ensured the narrow 1-0 lead remained intact until the final whistle.
Aston Villa had pushed forward relentlessly in the closing stages searching for a breakthrough against their local rivals.
Morgan Rogers had been influential for the visitors throughout the contest, but they could not find a way past the resolute home defence.
The victory provides a significant boost for the Molineux club as they look to climb the league standings.
Villa frustrated in stoppage time
For the Villans, the defeat represents a missed opportunity to consolidate their position in the hunt for European places.
Emery’s side dominated possession in the latter stages but lacked the clinical edge required to beat Sa.
The heroic intervention from the Wolves number one will likely be remembered as one of the defining moments of the season for the home faithful.
Football lawmakers are discussing the introduction of a ‘Vinicius Law’ to punish players who cover their mouths to conceal abuse following a high-profile incident involving the Real Madrid winger.
Proposing a deterrent against concealed language
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) raised the concept during a technical meeting in Wales on Friday.
This potential deterrent follows an investigation into Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni for alleged racial abuse directed at Vinicius Junior.
Prestianni appeared to shield his mouth while addressing the Brazilian forward during a Champions League fixture last week.
While the Argentine winger vehemently denies using racist language, the precise words exchanged remain disputed due to the obstruction.
British associations within Ifab reportedly showed receptiveness to the idea, dubbed by insiders as "Vinicius’ Law".
Discussions remain in the preliminary stages, with the practicalities of enforcing such a rule requiring careful consideration before any formal proposal.
Background to the Lisbon incident
The alleged abuse occurred during Real Madrid’s victory over Benfica in Lisbon on 17 February.
Play was halted for 10 minutes in line with Uefa regulations after the 25-year-old reported the incident to referee Francois Letexier.
Despite the disruption, the forward completed the match after earlier scoring a wonderful individual strike to give his side the lead.
Vinicius became visibly upset following his goal celebration and immediately informed the match official.
"Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts in their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are."
The Brazil international posted the statement on Instagram following the encounter.
Uefa sanctions and wider reforms
Uefa imposed a provisional sanction on Prestianni on Monday, ruling him out of the return leg in Madrid.
The Portuguese club had appealed against the decision prior to the fixture.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side secured their place in the last 16 with a 2-1 victory on Wednesday, sealing a 3-1 aggregate success.
Separately, Fifa officials have discussed increasing penalties from yellow to red cards for players walking off the pitch.
This suggestion follows chaotic scenes at the conclusion of the recent Africa Cup of Nations final between Senegal and Morocco.