Four years after MLS Next Pro introduced two rules aimed at reducing time wasting, the International Football Association Board (Ifab) is expected to adopt both changes globally this weekend, just months before the 2026 World Cup. The timed substitution rule requires a player to leave the pitch within 10 seconds or their team plays a man down for a minute. The off-field treatment rule removes a player for a minute if they spend more than 15 seconds on the ground after an injury.
Exceptions apply: injured players and goalkeepers are exempt from the timed sub rule, while the treatment rule excludes serious foul play, cards, and head injuries. The rules were first implemented in MLS Next Pro in 2022, then adopted by MLS in 2024 and Leagues Cup in 2025. Ali Curtis, MLS Next Pro president, said the impact was immediate, with injury-related stoppages in MLS dropping by 72% and only 12 timed sub violations in 4,346 substitutions across 510 matches in 2025.
Curtis highlighted Inter Miami forward Luis Suárez as an example: after a violation for slow exit, Suárez sprinted off the pitch in a later substitution. Lionel Messi was also affected when he was removed for two minutes after a lengthy injury delay in a 2024 match, prompting him to complain to the fourth official. Curtis acknowledged the emotional challenge but stressed the rules aim to evolve the game while maintaining integrity.
The US has a history of soccer rule experimentation, including the first use of substitutes by the American Soccer League in the 1920s, the backpass rule pioneered by the North American Soccer League (NASL) in the 1980s, and early adoption of red cards for denial of clear goal-scoring opportunities. The NASL also introduced names on jerseys before the global standard.
