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By BEN WILLCOCKS, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Published: 09: 08 AEDT, 29 October 2025 | Updated: 09: 08 AEDT, 29 October 2025 12 View comments A significant VAR change is reportedly set to be introduced in time for the World Cup next summer, following a meeting with football's lawmakers. The International FA Board’s Football and Technical Advisory Panels (IFAB), which is made up of former players, coaches and referees, held its latest meeting this week to discuss important rule changes within the sport. During the meeting, it was agreed that VAR interventions for second yellow cards should be introduced, ideally in time for the summer World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year. According to The Sun, football chiefs agreed that VAR officials 'should have the possibility to intervene when an incorrect second yellow card has been given' — and a formal proposal to change the law will be made at the Annual Business Meeting in January, held a hotel in Heathrow. It will then need to be approved again at February's Annual General Meeting in Cardiff, before coming into effect from July 1. It is understood that FIFA, world football's governing body which has four of the eight votes within IFAB, will attempt to bring the new VAR rule forward in time for the World Cup, commencing on June 11. VAR interventions for second yellow cards are set to be introduced in time for the World Cup It is understood that FIFA, governed by president Gianni Infantino (above), will attempt to bring the new VAR rule forward in time for the World Cup, which begins on June 11 next summer Lawmakers are also considering taking action against long throws - football's latest trend VAR was used for the second time at a men's World Cup in 2022 in Qatar - pictured above The new rule would mark a major change to VAR, which currently only intervenes for 'key match incidents' such as goals, penalties and straight red cards. During the meeting, measures to speed up the game were also discussed amid concerns over time-wasting. According to the Guardian, football's lawmakers are considering taking action against long throws, which have fast become a new trend in the Premier League. IFAB members discussed the possibility of limiting how long a player can spend before taking a throw-in, in an effort to increase the amount of time the ball is in play during matches. Although no specific law was put forward for approval, it is understood the throw-in clampdown would be similar to the rule affecting goalkeepers and how long they can hold on to the ball. In a new law introduced at the start of this season, goalkeepers are only allowed to hold on to the ball for eight seconds before releasing it, otherwise they will be penalised by conceding a corner kick to the opposition team. Long throws have become popular again after going out of fashion over the past decade, with teams using them as an opportunity to hurl the ball into the danger area and cause havoc as they would with a corner or deep free-kick. As a result, teams are taking longer to organise themselves from long throws as they would before other set-pieces — significantly lessening the amount of time the ball is on the pitch. The IFAB chiefs also agreed to look further at the offside law, in terms of whether reducing marginal offside decisions would promote more attacking play.
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