Football’s lawmakers are considering expanding VAR powers to review second yellow cards and introducing countdowns for throw-ins and goal kicks to improve match flow.
Football’s lawmakers have discussed expanding the Video Assistant Referee’s (VAR) authority to intervene when a player is wrongly shown a second yellow card, as part of wider talks on potential rule adjustments.
The proposals emerged during a meeting of the International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) Football and Technical Advisory Panels (FAP-TAP) on Tuesday. The discussions also included ideas such as applying countdown timers to throw-ins and goal kicks, similar to the recently introduced rule punishing goalkeepers who hold the ball for over eight seconds.
Currently, VAR can only review straight red cards, not second yellows leading to dismissals. The issue gained attention last season after Manchester City’s Rico Lewis was controversially sent off against Crystal Palace. “In real-time, it looks a clear second yellow but when you see it again, it is the Palace player’s foot on top of Rico Lewis’ foot, not the other way around,” former referee Mike Dean told Sky Sports.
Former player Pat Nevin added: “Surely a second yellow so wrongly flashed should elicit a quiet word in the referee’s ear from the goggle-box watchers back at Stockley Park?”
All recommendations will be reviewed at IFAB’s Annual Business Meeting on January 20, ahead of the February 28 Annual General Meeting where formal decisions will be made.