More football! IFAB wants to ban time-wasting during matches by limiting throw-ins, goal kicks, and substitutions

The International Football Association Board is once again pushing to curb teams’ ability to waste time during matches.

Details: According to The Athletic, next week the International Football Association Board will hold a meeting to discuss ways to prohibit or minimize deliberate time-wasting during throw-ins, goal kicks, and player substitutions.

• See also: Manchester United vs Manchester City prediction, head-to-head and probable lineups - 17 January 2026

Reportedly, the key proposal is to introduce a specifically allotted time frame, to be determined by the board, which would be applied to throw-ins, goal kicks, and substitutions.

Last year, changes were already made to the rule regarding goalkeepers putting the ball back into play, allowing attacking teams to be awarded a corner if the defending goalkeeper holds onto the ball for more than eight seconds.

Reminder: "The revenues generated from the World Cup go back into the game worldwide" - Gianni Infantino defends high ticket prices for the World Cup