On June 15 at Hard Rock Stadium, Inter Miami will face Al Ahly in the opening match of Group A at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Alongside the tournament’s kickoff, several major rule changes will be introduced—adjustments that will later be applied across competitions worldwide. Additionally, two recently implemented modifications will remain in effect.
This week, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) confirmed several updates to soccer rules set to debut during the club tournament hosted in the United States. These updates will also be adopted globally starting July 1.
One of the key changes is the Drop Ball Clarification, a mechanism used to resume play after exceptional stoppages. The new rule states that this “ensures that the team that had possession before the stoppage will retain the ball when play resumes, eliminating unfair or confusing restarts.”
Another adjustment addresses situations when a substitute or staff member interferes with play as the ball is about to leave the field. In those instances, an indirect free kick will be awarded to the disadvantaged team. And while there will be no disciplinary sanctions, the referee “must explain the interruption and assess its impact.”
The FIFA Club World Cup trophy on display prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome.
VAR-related changes
The introduction of VAR over the past decade has prompted gradual rule shifts to better align the sport with technological advances. Two new changes will be applied during the Club World Cup.
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One involves the positioning of assistant referees during matches. Traditionally, they were tasked primarily with spotting offsides and positioned in line with the second-last defender. However, with VAR now handling those checks, assistant referees “are advised to position themselves in line with the penalty spot for a better angle on plays that could be reviewed.”
Additionally, referees will now be able to announce their VAR-related decisions directly to the crowd, explaining the rationale behind each call. This was previously tested during the U-20 World Cup in Argentina (2023) and the South American U-20 Championship.
Ongoing changes at the Club World Cup
Two rule modifications introduced recently will also remain in place for the Club World Cup. The first concerns interactions between players and referees. Only team captains will be permitted to speak with officials during matches. If other players protest excessively, they may be shown a yellow card.
Also, goalkeepers will be limited to holding the ball in their hands for no more than eight seconds. If they fail to release it within that time, the opposing team will be awarded a corner kick. This change has already been introduced in tournaments across South America this year.
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