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Taming the Vinicius law: the German league storms into the World Cup controversy

A clear stance on FIFA's amendments

The new rules in force at the 2026 World Cup are sparking fierce debate in Germany, just as they are across the major leagues and around the world.

Now the German Football Association has decided which of FIFA's amendments will make it into the Bundesliga for the new 2026-2027 season, and which will not.

Those changes came under discussion on Monday in Frankfurt, at a meeting between the association's referees company, its chief executive Knut Kircher (57) and the Bundesliga's "football committee".

Covering the mouth: the controversial law
One of the key rulings kept corner kicks outside the scope of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. The aim is simple: to stop VAR interventions from piling up.
Bild newspaper said: "There is a clear policy on unsporting behaviour. Players who cover their mouths with their hands or shirts during an altercation with an opponent will not receive a red card, but may only receive a yellow card. At the World Cup, two players were sent off for covering their mouths with their hands during an argument with an opponent."
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Under the microscope: the rules for the team captain and his conduct towards referees
Kircher, who heads the referees' committee at the German Football Association, has spelled out what officials should home in on this season. Top of the list is the captain's armband rule, so often ignored at the World Cup, which referees must now enforce consistently. Unsporting behaviour will also draw stiffer punishment. That covers deliberately slowing a quick free kick and showing disrespect to officials, whether by complaining or waving a dismissive hand.
Bild continued: "There is another point relating to situations around the goalkeeper. Referees must distinguish more precisely whether an attacker is positioning himself beside, behind or in front of the opposing goalkeeper. This is permitted. However, if a player physically moves his body towards the goalkeeper, obstructs him, and thereby prevents him from catching or parrying the ball, a foul is called."
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Preventing time-wasting attempts
New rules take effect at the start of next season, and referees will crack down on slow goal kicks and throw-ins. Take longer than five seconds and possession switches to the opposition, who receive a throw-in or a corner instead of the goal kick. The aim is simple: kill time-wasting.
Substitutions get quicker too. A substituted player must leave the pitch within ten seconds. Delay it and they cannot come on until a minute has passed or play is stopped. Their side plays a man down in the meantime.
Injuries bring another change. Any player treated on the pitch, or who forces a stoppage through injury, must leave for at least one minute. Goalkeepers are exempt, as are players needing treatment after a foul that earns the opponent a yellow or red card. An injured player about to take a penalty may also carry on.
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