These are the 5 new changes added to the tournament. A few of these have already been implemented in European club football and might be familiar to you:
5 Substitutions: Implemented after the COVID pandemic, managers are allowed to make 5 changes at any minute of the game. This works in favor of both the teams as well as players as more and more players will get the chance to play in the World Cup.
1. Semi-Automated Offside Technology- This advanced technology will detect if a player is offside in less than 20 seconds. This is an upgrade to the VAR system that has often disappointed football fans with the way it functions.
Expanded Roster: FIFA has changed the number of players in a team participating in the World Cup from 23 to 26. With the addition of 3 more players, squads with better depth have an advantage.
Goalkeeper on the line while taking a penalty: This Rule has already been followed by every European domestic league already. While saving a penalty, the goalkeeper is required to touch the goal line with any of his body parts.
Female Referees: Female referees have already started officiating men’s matches. Premier League has appointed female assistant referees since the start of last season. Referees like Stephanie Frappart and Yoshimi Yamashita have been appointed as match officials in the Qatar World cup.