sports
January 20, 2026
VARs will intervene on second yellows and corners after football law changes
Football’s law-making body has backed plans to extend the use of the video assistant referee system, allowing it to intervene on second yellow cards and the awarding of corners, provided the process “does not slow the flow of play”.
TL;DR
- VAR will now intervene on second yellow cards if there is clear factual evidence of a wrong award leading to a red card.
- VAR can review corner kick decisions if they were clearly wrong and can be checked immediately without delay.
- The 'countdown principle' for goalkeepers releasing the ball now includes goal-kicks and throw-ins, with an eight-second limit.
- A 10-second time limit will be imposed on players leaving the field when substituted.
- These measures aim to limit disruptions to the flow of play.
- Despite improvements, fan frustration with VAR is ongoing.
- A recent incident involving semi-automated offside technology caused a five-minute delay.
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