Football lawmakers consider allowing major tournaments like the World Cup to trial new rules, potentially introducing VAR to adjudicate corner kicks and other fact-based decisions, aiming to prevent match-defining errors.
According to a report from Yahoo/Sports, the International Football Association Board is discussing a potentially game-changing amendment that would allow VAR to intervene on corner-kick decisions in the upcoming 2026 World Cup.
Under the proposed change, tournament organisers could trial short-term rule adjustments — diverging from the usual process where rules are only altered after testing in lower-tier competitions.
If approved, VAR would be empowered to review key corner situations: for example, whether the ball fully crossed the line before a corner was given, or which team last touched the ball — factors that could heavily influence critical match outcomes.
Other ideas under discussion include allowing VAR to review second yellow cards and other “factual decisions,” though these remain controversial due to their subjective nature.
Any rule change would not automatically apply to domestic leagues; it would be treated as a special trial for the 48-team World Cup.
In the coming months, the IFAB will weigh the proposals ahead of their annual general meeting in March — which could pave the way for what may become one of the most significant VAR-related law changes in modern football.