10-Second Substitution Rule
A player being substituted must leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution board being shown. If they don't, the substitute cannot enter until the next stoppage after one full minute.
No time limit for substituted players to leave the field. Yellow card possible for excessive delay but rarely shown.
10 seconds to leave once the board is shown. Exceed it and the substitute waits until the next stoppage after one minute of play.
What changed
Time-wasting during substitutions — especially near the end of matches — has been a persistent problem. The new rule gives the outgoing player exactly 10 seconds to leave once the board goes up. If they exceed this without a valid reason (injury or safety), the substitute is held back and cannot enter until a minute of playing time has passed.
Why it matters for the World Cup
One of the most common time-wasting tactics at the World Cup is the slow substitution walk. This rule directly targets that. Expect referees to be strict with it in the final stages of close matches.
Scenarios
Substituted player walks slowly in final minutes
A player is being substituted in the 87th minute and slowly walks toward the touchline, taking 25 seconds.
Player cannot leave quickly due to injury
A substituted player is genuinely struggling to walk due to injury and takes longer than 10 seconds.