Refereeing revolution! La Liga changes the rules right before the new season

Spanish referees have been granted the most extensive powers in history.

Details: La Liga has officially unveiled a package of new refereeing rules set to take effect from the upcoming season. The changes cover virtually every aspect—from VAR operations to throw-in procedures—and many are already sparking heated debate throughout the football community.

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The main innovations are as follows: VAR will now be able to intervene in second yellow card situations and cases of mistaken identity when awarding a red card, as well as overturn wrongly awarded corners. A substituted player will be required to leave the pitch within 10 seconds; otherwise, their replacement can only enter after one minute of play. Players who received medical assistance must wait a minute off the field before returning, and if play was stopped by the goalkeeper without a foul being committed against them, an outfield player must also leave for a minute. Throw-ins will be strictly monitored with a five-second countdown, penalties with an accidental double touch on a miss will be considered as saved or missed, and referees will be able to publicly explain their final decisions after VAR interventions.

It's worth noting that all these rules are part of a global package of changes approved earlier by IFAB, which were already tested at the recent World Cup.

Fun fact: the new 10-second exit rule is designed to combat time-wasting—previously, the classic move for players with a lead was to make a slow, dramatic walk across the entire pitch during substitutions.

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