FIFA targets England's corner tactics with new World Cup rule on pre-kick fouls

FIFA has introduced a new VAR protocol for the 2026 World Cup that allows officials to disallow goals for fouls committed by attacking players before a corner or free kick is taken — and England have been explicitly named as a target of the crackdown by refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina.

In a recent presentation, Collina highlighted a specific incident from England’s friendly against Uruguay, in which midfielder Adam Wharton body-checked defender José María Giménez before a corner was delivered. Ben White subsequently bundled home at the far post to open the scoring — a goal Collina described as “completely unfair” and one he believes should not have stood.

“There is a clear foul committed against the defender,” Collina said. “The attacker clearly goes and illegally blocks the opponent; his only objective is to prevent the defender from being able to defend against his opponent. We are convinced that this goal cannot stand.”

The rule change has been approved by the International FA Board (IFAB), football’s law-making body. Under the clarification, VAR will be permitted to intervene when a clear attacking foul directly influences a goal, penalty, or disciplinary sanction — even if the offence occurs a split second before the ball is in play. Collina confirmed that all changes will be communicated to competing nations ahead of the tournament, accompanied by video examples.

“The reason why the VAR can’t intervene is that the protocol says that,” Collina explained. “I don’t think any of you would be happy with a goal scored as a result of a foul being committed.”

Collina also made clear that referees will be briefed on which teams use pre-kick screening as a deliberate set-piece strategy, placing England on notice ahead of their World Cup campaign. “Our referees will be ready,” he said. “If this is a tactic, part of the preparation of our referees is to know in advance which tactics are implemented by teams. If you know something before, you put your attention where it might be needed.”

IFAB confirmed in a statement that the clarification applies specifically to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and covers “clear offences committed by the attacking team before the ball is in play at a corner kick or free kick that have a direct impact on a goal, penalty kick, or disciplinary sanction.”

England’s set-piece approach, widely regarded as one of the most sophisticated in international football, is likely to face heightened scrutiny from match officials throughout the tournament as a result.