Football lawmakers expand VAR’s powers.

Using VAR to check corner kicks will be an option in matches from this summer, with core VAR protocols now extended to cover second yellow cards.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets football’s laws, has also approved a series of measures to deal with tactics aimed at disrupting the rhythm of the game, which will come into effect this summer.

The successful introduction of the eight-second rule for goalkeepers has encouraged FIFA to further its efforts to stop players slowing down the game.

If the referee feels that a player has spent too long on a throw-in or dead-ball goal kick, he has the right to start a five-second countdown, and the substitution must be completed within no more than 10 seconds, otherwise the substitute must leave for at least one minute.

FIFA also decided at its annual general meeting in Wales on Saturday to make it mandatory for players to leave the pitch for at least one minute if an injury results in a game being suspended.

The Premier League has been experimenting with 30 seconds, but some within IFAB feel this is not enough of a deterrent. Other competitions have tried longer times, including two minutes at last year’s Arabian Cup.

The aim of all measures that will be taken is to maintain the tempo of the game, while also helping to reduce the added time due to layoffs, which is an issue for both fans and broadcasters’ schedules from a player welfare perspective.

The changes agreed on Saturday will officially become part of the competition’s rules from July 1 and will be adopted at this summer’s World Cup, which kicks off on June 11.

FIFA has also agreed to conduct a trial to further assess tactical injury delays in goalkeepers and propose options to stop this behaviour.

Lawmakers insisted that VAR checks on corner kicks must not delay kick-offs but should only be used to spot obvious errors. Corner checks will be an option rather than a mandatory part of the VAR protocol.

VAR will also only check the second yellow card that was awarded in error. They will not advise the referee to issue a second yellow card when a second yellow card has not been shown on the pitch.

FIFA will also hold consultations on measures for players to leave the field of play to protest a referee’s decision or for team officials inciting such behavior, as well as for players to cover their mouths when confronting opponents during matches.

The Africa Cup of Nations final was postponed after Senegal withdrew, while Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestani was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior during a Champions League match last week when his mouth was covered by his shirt.

UEFA is investigating the incident and Prestani denies racially abusing Vinicius.