FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina has offered a positive assessment of the new anti-time-wasting measures introduced at the FIFA World Cup 2026, describing them as effective and well-received across the football community.

New rules, clear results

Three key measures were put in place ahead of the tournament: a five-second limit for goal kicks and throw-ins, a ten-second window for substituted players to leave the pitch, and a mandatory one-minute absence from the field following an injury. Collina confirmed all three have proven successful.

Across 72 group stage matches, only one substituted player failed to exit the pitch within the ten-second limit. Many players, even those whose sides were winning at the time, were seen sprinting to the touchline to comply. The five-second rule was breached four times at goal kicks — with possession handed to the opposition — and 11 times at throw-ins, with the same outcome.

Fewer injuries, better behaviour

One of the more striking outcomes has been a dramatic reduction in player injuries requiring medical attention. Collina attributed this partly to the one-minute off-field rule, which has reduced incentives to feign or prolong injuries.

Conduct on and off the pitch has also been broadly positive. Referees issued just two cautions for dissent from players and two from coaches throughout the group stage. Of the ten red cards shown, six were for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, and only one was for covering the mouth during a confrontation with an opponent.

Obstruction tactics under scrutiny

Collina also addressed the question of attacking players deliberately obstructing opponents — a tactic that referees and VAR have been instructed to monitor and punish. While simply holding a position is not in itself an offence, any deliberate movement aimed at blocking a defender's path — particularly to impede a goalkeeper — will be sanctioned.

Coaches and players were briefed on these criteria before the tournament, through dedicated workshops and online sessions, meaning no team can claim ignorance if a foul is called. According to Collina, the objective across all these measures is the same: more ball-in-play time, a faster tempo, and a fairer contest.