At the ongoing World Cup, FIFA’s freshly introduced anti‑time‑wasting measures have quickly become a talking point, reshaping how teams approach the final minutes of matches.
Speeding Up the Game
Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina highlighted that the five‑second limits on goal kicks and throw‑ins, together with a ten‑second exit rule for substitutes, have already trimmed stoppages and lowered the risk of injuries.
Across 72 group‑stage fixtures, only a single substitution breached the ten‑second deadline, while the five‑second rule was infringed fifteen times — four on goal kicks and eleven on throw‑ins.
Players, even when their side holds a lead, have been sprinting toward the touchline, eager to comply, and medical staff report fewer interventions on the pitch.
The new framework also clarifies VAR’s role, stating that referees will intervene when an attacker deliberately blocks a defender, a rule that came into play when Germany’s extra‑time goal was disallowed after a foul on Paraguay’s goalkeeper.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann was cautioned for his protests, and two players and two coaches received yellow cards for dissent, underscoring that the regulations are being enforced with consistency.
Overall, the data suggests that the experiment is delivering the intended benefits of a faster, safer competition, and Collina expects the standards to be applied uniformly throughout the tournament.