Champions League rule changes: Everything you need to know for 2026-27 league phase

The main gully of the 2026-27 Champions League volition get underway this week, with 36 teams acceptable to vie crossed 8 matchdays successful the league phase. 

Paris Saint-Germain volition beryllium looking to triumph the contention for a 3rd consecutive play aft beating Arsenal connected penalties to triumph their 2nd Champions League trophy successful May.

Luis Enrique's broadside volition look contention from respective European heavyweights, including Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. 

First, the dense hitters volition request to negociate the league signifier wherever the apical 8 volition beforehand consecutive to the past 16, portion the teams from ninth to 24th spot volition participate a playoff round.

There whitethorn beryllium nary changes to the qualification format for the 3rd variation of the Champions League league phase, but determination are a fewer caller rules to look retired for successful the latest instalment of UEFA's premier nine competition.

Here, Sports Mole covers everything you request to cognize astir the caller regularisation changes for the 2026-27 Champions League. 

Referees to beryllium blistery connected hold tactics

The Champions League volition beryllium looking to trim clip delays with rules that person already been introduced crossed the apical European leagues this season.

Players being substituted volition request to permission the tract of play wrong 10 seconds; otherwise, the incoming subordinate volition person to hold until the archetypal stoppage aft a one-minute wait. 

Meanwhile, the referee has the close to supply a five-second countdown for players to restart play from throw-ins and extremity kicks.

The throw-in volition beryllium reversed if a squad falls foul of a countdown, portion a country volition beryllium awarded to the absorption if the goalkeeper fails to instrumentality a extremity footwear successful the allotted time.

In respect to players requiring aesculapian treatment, they volition request to permission the transportation for a infinitesimal earlier they tin instrumentality to the action, though the regularisation does not use to goalkeepers.

There are respective different exceptions to the rule, including erstwhile a subordinate is connected the receiving extremity of a foul that leads to a yellowish oregon reddish for the opposing player.

UEFA to summation VAR remit

UEFA person announced that VAR volition beryllium utilized successful caller areas for the 2026-27 season, including successful cases of mistaken identity. 

VAR officials tin instrumentality enactment erstwhile a referee has sanctioned the incorrect players, though the offence successful question cannot beryllium reviewed.

Those successful the VAR booth volition besides beryllium capable to intervene erstwhile a 2nd yellowish paper has been incorrectly awarded, allowing them to nonstop the referee to reappraisal the enactment successful question connected the pitchside monitor. 

The last 2 areas wherever VAR person a accidental are related to fouls from an attacking squad earlier a country oregon free-kick and clarification astir imaginable handball offences from extremity kicks. 

Will Champions League referees punish players for covering their mouths?

The contented of players covering their mouths became a existent contented erstwhile Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni pulled his garment implicit his rima erstwhile speaking to Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior successful February's Champions League clash.

Prestianni was accused of racist maltreatment earlier helium was aboriginal recovered blameworthy of homophobic behaviour pursuing a UEFA investigation, starring to a six-game prohibition with 3 of those matches suspended.

The incidental led to FIFA implementing a regularisation for the 2026 World Cup wherever players could beryllium sent disconnected if they covered their rima portion successful confrontation with an opposing player.

Miguel Almiron became the archetypal subordinate to beryllium sent disconnected for the offence successful Paraguay's radical crippled against Turkey earlier Piero Hincapie was aboriginal dismissed for falling foul of the aforesaid regularisation successful Ecuador's last-16 decision to Mexico.

UEFA person confirmed they volition not beryllium pursuing FIFA's approach, but referees tin brandish a yellowish paper if a subordinate covers his rima successful a mode that is deemed to beryllium unsporting behaviour.

Like Prestianni, players tin inactive beryllium retrospectively punished if an probe is required aft the crippled successful question.

FIFA were besides keen for VAR to intervene erstwhile corners were incorrectly awarded during the World Cup. 

In a flimsy opposition to FIFA's exertion of VAR, UEFA has explained that a country volition lone beryllium overturned erstwhile it is simply a precise wide lawsuit and the determination tin beryllium made without delaying the game. 

UEFA instrumentality caller booking rules

UEFA person made changes to the fig of accumulated yellowish cards that tin pb to a suspension successful the main draw.

Previously, players would prime up a one-match suspension for 3 accumulated yellowish cards and further bans aft 5 and 7 cautions.

This season, players volition person other leeway, with the threshold present astatine 4 yellowish cards and past further suspension aft six, 8 and 10. 

Yellow cards volition expire upon the completion of the quarter-finals, meaning a subordinate volition lone beryllium suspended for the last if they person a reddish paper successful the 2nd limb of the semi-finals.