The 2026/27 LaLiga season will arrive with several refereeing adjustments that could have a direct impact on the pace of matches.

The Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) has focused on one of the issues that currently causes the most concern in football: interruptions and strategies used to run down the clock. At the same time, the Spanish refereeing body has decided to take a different approach to one of the rules that has generated the most debate in recent months.

Effective playing time becomes a priority

One of the main objectives for the new campaign will be to reduce deliberate time-wasting and create matches with greater continuity.

Substitutions will be among the situations receiving special attention. Players will have 10 seconds to leave the pitch when they are replaced.

If a substitution is deliberately delayed, the substitute’s entry may also be delayed, temporarily forcing the team to play with one fewer player.

There will also be greater scrutiny of throw-ins and other restarts, following some of the criteria used during the 2026 World Cup.

Feigned injuries will come under scrutiny

Another particularly important issue will be the handling of apparent injuries used to slow down matches.

When a player requires medical attention, they will have to remain off the pitch for one minute before returning, a measure aimed at preventing stoppages from becoming a tool for wasting time.

The CTA also wants to apply stricter criteria to goalkeepers. The Spanish refereeing body has asked IFAB for permission to sanction teams when a goalkeeper is deemed to be deliberately exaggerating an injury in order to stop the game.

A controversial rule will not be introduced in Spanish football

While the control of stoppages will become stricter, LaLiga will not apply the so-called “Vinicius Law.”

The measure calls for a player to be shown a straight red card for covering their mouth while arguing with an opponent, with the aim of preventing possible insults or other offensive remarks from being concealed.

However, the CTA believes it is difficult to determine what was said based solely on that gesture. Covering the mouth is also a common practice among footballers when discussing tactics or commenting on incidents during a match, meaning an automatic dismissal could lead to sanctions without sufficient evidence.

Debate around the rule intensified following the confrontation between Vinicius Junior and Gianluca Prestianni during the 2025/26 Champions League.

The Benfica player was accused of directing racist insults at the Brazilian while covering his mouth during an argument.

Although the measure was applied during the 2026 World Cup, Spanish football has opted not to automatically introduce it into its domestic competition.

VAR will maintain a more limited role

The changes will also affect the use of video refereeing. The intention is to keep VAR as a tool designed to correct clear and obvious errors, rather than using it to reassess every incident in a match.

The approach is aligned with UEFA guidelines and with the philosophy the CTA wants to establish in Spain: the on-field referee must continue to be primarily responsible for decisions during the match.

With these changes, Spanish refereeing will begin the new season with a clear priority: to increase effective playing time without turning every new measure into an automatic sanction.