Bundesliga adopts new rules to curb time-wasting and improve conduct

The German Bundesliga is preparing to implement a new set of rules that sparked intense debate during the 2026 World Cup. The primary focus of these changes is to enhance the flow of the game and enforce stricter discipline among players and officials.

A significant shift involves combating time-wasting. Referees will mandate that goal kicks, free kicks, and throw-ins be taken within five seconds. Failure to do so will result in possession being handed to the opposition. Substitutions will also be accelerated, requiring players to leave the pitch within ten seconds, or their team will be forced to play a man down for one minute.

The rules regarding injuries are also becoming more rigid. Any player requiring treatment on the pitch, or causing a stoppage due to injury, must remain off the field for at least one minute, though goalkeepers, players fouled by an opponent who receives a card, and players about to take a penalty are exempt from this rule.

Kircher, head of the German Football Association's referees' committee, noted that officials must prioritize consistent enforcement of the captain's armband rule and take a harder stance against unsporting behavior, such as dismissive gestures towards referees.

Furthermore, the league is clarifying policies on player conduct. Covering one's mouth during an altercation will no longer warrant a red card, instead resulting in a yellow card. Guidelines regarding goalkeepers have also been tightened: while standing near a goalkeeper is permitted, any physical obstruction that prevents a save will be penalized as a foul.