The 'bed football' tactic of time-wasting has vanished, with the '5-second throw-in' rule leading to immediate loss of possession.

*This content was translated by AI.

The 2026 FIFA North American Cup is not only characterized by the expansion of participating teams from 32 to 48. It also introduces a number of new football regulations that are being applied for the first time through this World Cup.

In particular, this World Cup has seen the introduction of numerous regulations aimed at preventing so-called 'bed football,' where time is intentionally wasted. The 8-second rule for goalkeepers and the 5th-second rule for throw-ins are representative examples. These are regulations requiring the ball to be played within a limited time.

On the 13th (Korean time), during the Group B first-round match of the North American Cup between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina held at Toronto Stadium in Canada, a ruling was made for the first time in which possession was changed due to a violation of the '5-second throw-in' rule.

With Bosnia leading 1-0, they failed to complete the throw-in within 5 seconds. The referee immediately blew the whistle and awarded the throw-in to Canada. This was the first application of a regulation introduced to prevent time-wasting by delaying throw-ins.

Goalkeepers must play the ball within 8 seconds after catching it. It is also a sight seen throughout this World Cup where the referee directly announces the remaining time by mouth once the goalkeeper has caught the ball. If a goal kick exceeds the time limit, it results in a corner kick for the opposing team.

Additionally, a player being substituted off must leave the field within 10 seconds. They must exit the stadium through the nearest line toward the fourth official, not by heading toward the substitute bench. If time is wasted by exiting the stadium late, the player coming on will be prohibited from entering the field for one minute. The team will then be at a numerical disadvantage for that duration.

If a match is stopped due to a player collapsing from an injury, that player must first leave the field to receive treatment. Even if treatment ends early, they cannot be re-entered onto the field for at least one minute. Earlier, during the final moments of the North American Cup Group A match between Korea and Czech Republic, Baek Seung-ho collapsed after colliding with an opponent and was seen groaning in pain. Given the situation where his team could have been put at a numerical disadvantage, Baek Seung-ho was also captured getting up and running immediately.

Furthermore, video assistant referee (VAR) reviews, previously applied only to goals, penalty kicks, and send-offs, are now expanded to include corner kicks and caution situations. During the Group D first-round match between the United States and Paraguay held at Los Angeles Stadium on the 13th, VAR was used for the first time to determine whether a player had been incorrectly identified.

The referee, after reviewing via VAR, corrected the first caution that had been wrongly issued due to his own mistake and instead issued a caution to a different player. Had the new regulation not been introduced, the caution issued due to the wrong player identification could not have been overturned.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.