IFAB AGM: The end for long throws? New five-second time limit proposal on agenda as football's lawmakers set to meet
International Football Association Board (IFAB) to discuss rule changes at its AGM; VAR being able to intervene on second yellow cards expected to be "passed without much opposition"; new five-second rule for goal-kicks and throw-ins to be discussed
Friday 27 February 2026 06:17, UK
Football's lawmakers are expected to discuss the idea of a new five-second time limit for goal-kicks and throw-ins, which could put an end to the current long-throw trend in the Premier League.
They are also expected to increase the scope of VAR to include decisions on second yellow cards, when they meet in Wales on Saturday - with further proposals to crack down on time-wasting also on the agenda.
If a new five-second time limit is introduced for goal-kicks and throw-ins, it is thought that would effectively mean an end to the increasing trend in the Premier League and EFL for teams to use long-throws as an attacking tactic.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) which is made up of the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish FAs together with FIFA, holds its AGM each spring. Only at this meeting can the laws of the game be amended, and they then have to be applied worldwide.
- Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱
- No Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺
However, the IFAB board may decide to trial some law changes rather than introduce them permanently, with those laws made optional for individual competitions to consider implementing. While any law changes will not come into effect until July 1 (so, effectively for the start of the next domestic football season) it is likely that FIFA will choose to introduce some of them, as a trial, during this summer's World Cup in North America.
Insiders think the VAR change to include second yellow cards will be passed without much opposition, meaning incorrect decisions like the one which saw Wily Boly sent off for Nottingham Forest last season against Bournemouth could be overturned by the officials in Stockley Park.
Currently, the VAR is not allowed to look at whether a second yellow card is valid or not.
More controversially, IFAB will also discuss whether the VAR can adjudicate over whether a corner should be awarded or not.
It is thought FIFA is in favour of this move, and may look to introduce it for the World Cup, although the home nations are generally more opposed to the idea, Sky Sports News has been told, for fear it will lead to more unpopular match interruptions for fans. Currently, the Premier League has the lowest intervention rates for VAR of any of the 'big five' European leagues.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham has spoken publicly about his dislike for the idea, but Pierluigi Collina, FIFA's head of referees, is a strong advocate, arguing that VAR would only get involved in corners where there has been a clear and obvious error.
There is widespread belief in the game that the introduction of the 'eight-second rule' for goalkeepers has been a success in cracking down on time-wasting - largely because there have been very few incidents this season where a 'keeper has held the ball for more than eight seconds, and a corner has been awarded to the opponent as a result.
Because of that success, IFAB will discuss further measures to speed up stoppages in play.
How would the 'five-second' rule work?
Proposals include introducing a new 'five-second rule' for goal-kicks and throw-ins, whereby a player will have only a very short time to get the game back under way again, or face a penalty. If they go beyond the five seconds, the throw-in would be reversed and awarded to the opponent, and a goal-kick would become a corner for the attacking side.
Some insiders have suggested that five seconds is too short a time for players to adhere to, and others fear long throws would be impossible to organise in that time-frame.
Some referees are also likely to be concerned that, if they have to do visual countdowns for goalkeepers with the ball in-hand, and also for throw-ins and goal-kicks, that could cause too much distraction from their other match-ruling functions.
Other laws on the IFAB agenda include the mandatory 30 seconds that a player must remain off the pitch once they have received treatment for an injury on it.
There is a proposal that this time should be doubled to one minute, to help player welfare, but also to act as a further deterrent to would-be time-wasters. Similarly, a time limit for substitutions could be introduced to try to help further speed up the game.
Again, the feeling among the home nations FAs seems to be that the 30-second rule for players receiving treatment is working effectively at present, and so there may be some resistance to this law being introduced, we are told.
Each law change, after discussion, will be put to the vote on Saturday. There needs to be a 75 per cent majority for any proposal to be passed. Each of the home nation FAs has one vote each, with FIFA having four votes, meaning six of the eight votes has to be in favour, for a law to be amended.
