FIFA introduces new rules and enhanced VAR for World Cup

FIFA's World Cup 2026 will introduce several significant rule changes designed to improve fairness, speed, and conduct on the pitch. Players who cover their mouths during on-field confrontations risk being sent off, following high-profile incidents including one involving Brazil's Vinícius Junior. VAR technology will be upgraded using AI and 3D tracking to deliver offside decisions in seconds, whilst its scope widens to address wrongly awarded corners and mistaken identity. New countdown clocks will also penalise time-wasting during goal kicks, throw-ins, and substitutions.

Al Jazeera's Joanna Gasiorowska reports. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile

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