Governing Bodies
CORONAVIRUS: NO GOOD OPTION IN SIGHT FOR TOKYO OLYMPIC LEADERS
In his two decades as a consultant to organisations vying to host the Olympic Games, Terrence Burns helped write and review official bids and plans from dozens of potential candidate cities.
In all those bids, he said, discussions of potential disruptions to the event were fairly narrow in scope: mostly natural disasters, like earthquakes or fires, and, more recently, terrorist attacks.
“I’ve never seen an Olympic organising committee asked, ‘Are you prepared for a global pandemic?’” Mr Burns said this week.
Now, with just under five months to go before the scheduled opening of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo on July 24, organisers in Japan and at the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Switzerland are grappling with the coronavirus outbreak, which is threatening to derail the world’s largest sporting event.
In preparing for the Olympics, Japan’s public health planning until now had focused on the prevention of measles and rubella, sexually transmitted diseases and food poisoning.
A new disease, like the coronavirus, was not central to their calculations.
Still, as the virus has begun to spread through the country, officials in Japan have played down suggestions that plans for the games could be altered or even cancelled.
At a news briefing on Wednesday, chief Cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said that preparations for the games were proceeding “as planned”, adding that the Olympic torch would begin its journey to Japan in March according to schedule.
The IOC has also declined to entertain the possibility that the games might not take place exactly as planned.
But sporting events in Japan and elsewhere are already being cancelled, as governments try to discourage large gatherings in major cities.
Many who have procured tickets and made travel plans are now wondering whether they will have to scrap them.
“We’ve had our first guests calling to ask questions about cancelling,” Mr Anbritt Stengele, president of Sports Traveler, a travel agency specialising in packages to international sporting events, said this week.
“Everyone in the industry is monitoring it and concerned.”
People across the Olympic world have begun to ponder, then, what might happen if the coronavirus has not been brought under control before the summer.
“I’m sure somewhere within the walls of the IOC headquarters there’s a big board with various scenarios on it where people are thinking about, ‘OK, what do we do in a worst-case situation?” said Mr Dick Pound, a longtime IOC member.
There are options, of course, according to people like Mr Burns who have worked with the Olympics for decades. None are very appealing.
MOVING THE GAMES
One theoretical solution involves moving the Olympics to a different locale – perhaps a city that has recently hosted the games, like London, or one that might be gearing up to, like Los Angeles.
It has happened with other major sports events. The 2003 Women’s World Cup was relocated from China to the United States during the outbreak of Sars.
But the Women’s World Cup, particularly back then, was a considerably smaller event in scope than the Olympics, with far fewer travelling fans, athletes, sponsors and media members.
And in general, stadiums that can accommodate soccer, the world’s most popular sport, are easy to find. Venues that can host surfing, sailing, equestrian dressage and track cycling? Less so.
Olympic host cities block out rooms in countless hotels. They reserve high-profile venues, generate public safety and transportation plans, and deal with a host of other logistical and legal issues years in advance, in anticipation of tens of thousands of visitors.
“Who could put on an event the size and scope of the Olympic Games even beginning today, five months out?” Mr Pound said. “Nobody, realistically.”
There is also the question of whether it would even make sense amid a viral epidemic to have thousands of people from around the world congregate in another city and then return to their homes.
Dr Yasuyuki Kato, professor of infectious diseases at the International University of Health and Welfare in Narita, Japan, noted that the games could act as “a hub to disseminate the virus to other countries”.
CANCELLING THE GAMES
The Olympics have been cancelled outright three times – in 1916, 1940 and 1944 – during the world wars.
The prospect of a cancellation now, when so many parties have invested billions of dollars and years of labour – and have legal contracts – seems almost unthinkable.
Broadcasters have carved out huge programming blocks, and marketers have built campaigns meant to culminate in Tokyo. Athletes have trained for years to appear on that stage.
“I’ll tell you who definitely doesn’t want to cancel is NBC,” said Dr Jules Boykoff, a professor of politics and an expert on Olympic history at Pacific University in Oregon.
“They have put billions into the rights to these Olympics. There will be serious disgruntlement from those who have power. They will insist that the games go on.”
A spokesman for NBC said, “The safety of our employees is always our top priority, but there is no impact on our preparations at this time.”
The spread of viruses can be suppressed in warmer months, and Dr Melissa Nolan, an expert on infectious diseases at the University of South Carolina, said “most predictions estimate we’ll see a major decline by July”.
But Mr Pound said he believed any decision to cancel or modify the games would have to be initiated by late May.
Asked about Mr Pound’s comments, Mr Suga, Japan’s chief Cabinet secretary, said they were “not the official view of the IOC”.
And the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, responding to questions from The New York Times, said that it was “not considering cancelling”.
POSTPONING THE GAMES
In 2001, days after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, organisers of the Ryder Cup, a team golf competition between the United States and Europe that was historically staged in odd-numbered years, decided to postpone the event for 12 months after top golfers like Tiger Woods expressed concern about flying.
To accommodate the change, the Presidents Cup, a team golf competition that had been staged in even-numbered years, was also pushed back a year, to 2003.
A similar but more complicated sort of rejiggering would be required if the Olympics were to be postponed by a few months or a full year.
Pushing the games to the summer of 2021 would put them in direct conflict with world championship events in several sports, which would likely have to be moved as well.
Holding the games just a few months later would put them in direct competition with a host of other professional sports competitions that would not move to accommodate them.
For example, while NBA basketball players are available in July, they are not available in October.
In addition, NBC is busy with football in the fall, while its summer programming is largely dedicated to the Olympics.
“Olympic parties don’t want to host Olympic Games in the middle of the NFL football season for obvious financial reasons,” Mr Burns said.
ATHLETES ONLY
With few good options, organisers could be forced to get creative.
One way to satisfy broadcasters could be to hold the events behind closed doors, a nod to the reality that most fans watch the games on television.
But it’s unclear if public safety concerns would be addressed if thousands of athletes, coaches and staff members from around the world were still congregating in competition venues.
Or could the Olympics go on in Tokyo as planned – with, perhaps, travel from certain countries barred, screening zones in every venue and public space, and plenty of hand sanitiser and masks on hand?
At some point, though, such an event might not feel like the Olympics, which is supposed to be a peaceful celebration of people from more than 200 countries.
Can the Olympics be the Olympics without majestic opening and closing ceremonies in packed stadiums, or if events are spread out across multiple cities?
The questions may grow louder as the virus spreads further.
“It’s unusual, it’s unprecedented, it’s a complex issue,” Mr Burns said, “and if something indeed happens, it will have a complex solution.”
-New York Times
The Confederation of African Football has dismissed Yasin Osman Robleh, the Djiboutian official who headed its judicial bodies for the past six years, in a move aimed at restoring confidence in the organisation’s disciplinary processes.
According to reports from convergence sources, the decision was confirmed on Saturday by CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, bringing an abrupt end to Robleh’s tenure overseeing the confederation’s disciplinary and investigative committees since 2019.
Robleh’s position reportedly came under increasing pressure following the controversy surrounding sanctions imposed after the Africa Cup of Nations Final between Morocco and Senegal. The disciplinary decisions that followed the match sparked criticism from several quarters and placed CAF’s legal framework under intense scrutiny.
In response to the situation, CAF’s Executive Committee has appointed Togolese lawyer Cedric Egai, currently the confederation’s Director of Legal Affairs, as interim head of the judicial bodies.
Egai is expected to stabilise the organisation’s legal arm while CAF works toward appointing a permanent successor to Robleh.
Disciplinary Decisions Delayed
The leadership change has already affected ongoing disciplinary processes within the confederation. CAF’s disciplinary committee reportedly held hearings last Thursday on several cases, including the high-profile encounter involving Egypt’s Al Ahly and Morocco’s AS FAR.
However, decisions on those matters have been temporarily put on hold pending the confirmation of new leadership within the judicial structure.
Sources indicate that once a permanent successor is appointed, CAF will move swiftly to conclude outstanding disciplinary rulings affecting both clubs and national teams.
Restoring Confidence
The move is widely seen as part of CAF’s effort to restore confidence in its judicial system following weeks of controversy surrounding disciplinary decisions at major competitions.
Robleh’s departure closes a significant chapter in CAF’s legal administration, while Egai’s interim appointment signals a potential shift in leadership and governance at a critical time for African football.
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Governing Bodies
Countdown Rule Introduced To Crack Down on Time-Wasting in Substitutions and Spot Kicks
Global football’s law-making body, The International Football Association Board (IFAB), has approved a landmark package of reforms aimed at protecting effective playing time, reducing time-wasting and strengthening disciplinary oversight ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The decisions were taken at IFAB’s 140th Annual General Meeting (AGM), chaired by Mike Jones, President of the Football Association of Wales, during celebrations marking the FAW’s 150th anniversary.
The reforms, which will apply from the 2026/27 season and be implemented at the 2026 World Cup and other competitions, respond to growing calls across the football community for measures that preserve match tempo and reduce deliberate disruption.
Five-Second Countdown for Throw-Ins and Goal Kicks
Building on last season’s amendment preventing goalkeepers from holding the ball for excessive periods, IFAB has extended the countdown principle to throw-ins and goal kicks.
If a referee judges that a restart is being deliberately delayed, a visible five-second countdown will begin. Failure to put the ball back into play within that period will result in possession being awarded to the opposing team. In the case of a delayed goal kick, the sanction escalates to a corner kick for the opposition.
The measure is designed to eliminate a common time-management tactic frequently deployed late in matches.
Strict Timelines for Substitutions
To further streamline match flow, substituted players must leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution board being displayed or the referee’s signal being given.
Players who exceed that limit must still exit immediately, but their replacement will not be allowed to enter until the next stoppage after one minute of running clock time has elapsed — effectively discouraging slow exits intended to run down the clock.
Mandatory One-Minute Absence After On-Field Treatment
Under another significant change, players who receive on-field medical assessment — or whose injury prompts a stoppage — must leave the pitch and remain off for at least one minute once play resumes.
The rule aims to curb tactical injury interruptions while still safeguarding genuine medical needs.
IFAB also approved further trials to assess goalkeeper-related tactical injury delays and explore deterrent options.
VAR Protocol Expanded to Include Second Yellow Cards
In a notable development for officiating, IFAB expanded the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocol.
The VAR will now be permitted to review:
- Red cards resulting from a clearly incorrect second yellow card;
- Mistaken identity cases where the wrong player is cautioned or sent off;
- Clearly incorrectly awarded corner kicks, provided the review can be completed immediately without delaying the restart.
The move addresses longstanding criticism that second cautions — unlike straight red cards — were previously outside VAR review scope, despite their decisive impact on matches.
IFAB also confirmed continued trials of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) and ongoing development of FIFA-led Football Video Support (FVS).
Amendments to the Laws of the Game 2026/27
The next edition of the Laws of the Game, effective 1 July 2026 (with early adoption permitted), will introduce further clarifications and adjustments:
- Law 3: Senior ‘A’ international friendlies may now allow up to eight substitutes, expandable to eleven by mutual agreement.
- Law 4: Non-dangerous equipment will be permitted if safely covered.
- Law 5: Referee body cameras (head- or chest-mounted) may be used at competition discretion, with organisers controlling footage.
- Law 8: Clarifies that a dropped ball will be awarded to the team that would likely have retained possession.
- Laws 10 & 14: Formal incorporation of guidance on accidental “double touch” penalty incidents.
- Law 12: Where advantage is played for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity and a goal is scored, the offender will not be cautioned.
Focus on Discriminatory Behaviour and Player Protests
Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, IFAB agreed that further consultation will be undertaken to develop tougher measures against discriminatory conduct.
The board will also examine scenarios where:
- Players leave the field collectively in protest of refereeing decisions;
- Players cover their mouths while confronting opponents — a practice viewed as undermining transparency.
A Forward-Looking Agenda
The AGM, attended by representatives from FIFA, The FA, the Scottish FA, the FA of Wales, the Irish FA and IFAB administration, signals what officials described as a decisive effort to modernise the sport.
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, IFAB’s reforms represent one of the most comprehensive tempo-focused overhauls in recent years — an attempt to ensure that football remains faster, fairer and more resistant to manipulation of time.
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Governing Bodies
Infantino marks 10 years as FIFA President, hails reforms and global expansion of the game
Gianni Infantino has marked the 10th anniversary of his election as FIFA President by declaring that “we have brought football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football,” while thanking the organisation’s 211 member associations for their support over the past decade.
In a letter sent to the presidents of all 211 member associations, Infantino reflected on his election at the Extraordinary Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, on 26 February 2016, recalling that FIFA was facing a crisis that threatened its very existence at the time.
“By voting for me, the FIFA Congress chose to chart a new path forward built on reform, transparency and development,” he wrote. “I believe we have successfully brought football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football. And we have done so together.”
Infantino stressed that unity between FIFA and its Member Associations had been central to the organisation’s transformation.
“It is therefore with a great sense of unity that I would like to extend my deepest thanks for your work, your dedication and, of course, your unwavering support in making this possible and for your role in bringing FIFA back to football over the last 10 years,” he said.
Describing FIFA as “the glue that binds the footballing pyramid and the wider footballing ecosystem together,” Infantino underlined the importance of a strong and trusted governing body for the continued growth of the sport.
“A strong, trusted and unified FIFA is not only desirable, but also in fact necessary for our sport to continue to flourish,” he added. “Although we live in a world marked by division and conflict, football is still the great power that unites us all.”
Key achievements highlighted
In his message, the FIFA President outlined 11 major achievements since 2016, beginning with increased financial support to Member Associations through the FIFA Forward Programme. Introduced in 2016, funding to MAs has increased sevenfold, with associations empowered to determine how best to invest in football development within their territories.
He also pointed to the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, designed to ensure that every young player has the opportunity to develop regardless of financial background or geography, alongside enhanced capacity building in administration, finance, infrastructure, medical services, safeguarding and women’s leadership.
Infantino noted greater involvement of Member Associations in decision-making through FIFA Executive Summits and newly introduced Standing Committees, as well as reforms aimed at boosting transparency, including annual accounts delivered under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and clearer bidding processes for major tournaments.
On the field, the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in 2018 — now implemented in 83 Member Associations — was cited as a key step towards greater fairness. FIFA has since introduced VAR Light and Football Video Support to widen access to video technology. In 2024, all 211 MAs also unanimously backed a Global Stand Against Racism initiative.
Infantino further highlighted expanded playing opportunities across competitions. The FIFA World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams, while the FIFA Women’s World Cup grew to 32 teams in 2023 and is set to expand to 48 from 2031. More than 1,700 women’s development projects have been delivered across 204 Member Associations.
Youth competitions have also been broadened, including the expansion of the FIFA U-17 World Cup for both boys and girls and the introduction of a new festival-style FIFA U-15 Youth World Cup open to all 211 MAs.
The letter referenced relief measures during times of hardship, notably the COVID-19 Relief Plan, which made USD 1.5 billion available, emergency disaster funding via the FIFA Foundation, and a post-conflict recovery fund approved in December 2025 to support football communities affected by war.
At club level, Infantino highlighted the historic first 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup planned for 2028, and the launch of annual intercontinental competitions and an expanded FIFA Club Benefits Programme.
Concluding his message, Infantino reiterated his gratitude to Member Associations for “keeping the best interests of football at heart,” expressing confidence that a united global football community would continue to drive the sport’s growth in the years ahead.
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