La Liga rejects the 'Vinicius law' for the new season

La Liga decides not to apply the "Vinicius law" from the 2026 World Cup, instead unifying with UEFA standards and tightening regulations to limit time-wasting.

The Spanish Football Federation's Referees Committee (CTA) confirmed that it will not apply the controversial regulation that appeared at the 2026 World Cup, commonly known as the "Vinicius law," in the 2026/27 La Liga season. Instead, Spain's top league will standardize its management according to UEFA guidelines.

According to AS, the decision was made during a referee training camp in Las Caldas (Asturias), where referees and VAR teams prepared for the new season starting on August 15.

Previously, the CTA considered a regulation that would issue a direct red card to players who cover their mouths when arguing, in order to prevent insults to opponents or referees. However, the executive board deemed that this action lacked sufficient grounds for punishment, as many players cover their mouths simply to discuss tactics or avoid cameras capturing their conversation.

Instead of applying new regulations, La Liga will focus on limiting time-wasting behaviors. The Spanish Goalkeepers' Association has proposed to IFAB that referees be allowed to deal with teams whose goalkeepers deliberately fake injuries to waste time, similar to the model being tested in the Premier League.

Additionally, La Liga will also implement some changes that were applied at the 2026 World Cup, such as using a countdown clock for throw-ins, requiring substituted players to leave the field within 10 seconds, and forcing players receiving medical treatment on the pitch to stay off for at least one minute before returning.

Regarding VAR, UEFA continues to require that the system only intervene in situations with "clear and obvious errors", while emphasizing that the main referee remains the final decision-maker on the field. La Liga's decision shows that Spanish football prioritizes alignment with UEFA over applying controversial regulations.