Less play-acting and time-wasting as well as more video assistant referee (VAR) options: New refereeing rules at the World Cup are also being closely monitored by national federations sich as Germany's DFB.
DFB referee experts will meet German Football League (DFL) officials for a thorough assessment after the World Cup and will then decide together with the clubs on rule changes which go beyond the mandatory ones.
DFB referee spokesman Alex Feuerherdt said there was a big difference between optional and mandatory changes, the latter coming into effect from July 1 in the country.
He said they would come to no hasty conclusions during the World Cup because the upcoming knock-out rounds could still be "a game changer."
Mandatory changes
A countdown for goalkeepers at goal kicks and players at throw-ins, with violations punished with a change of possession. Players must also hurry up during substitutions or their team faces playing with a player less for one minute.
Players who receive on-field treatment must leave the pitch and wait a minute before they can return. The rule is to prevent play-acting. The rule does not apply to players who go down in a collision, sustain a head injury or are a treated after a foul that resulted in a yellow or red card.
The VAR can review incidents that lead to a second yellow card and subsequent dismissal for a player.
Optional changes
Players who cover their mouth in a confrontation with an opponent can be sent off in a effort to crack down on discriminatory behaviour. after Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni covered his mouth with his shirt when he insulted Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior in a Champions League match in February.
The VAR can review whether a corner kick is correctly awarded or not.
Players who leave the pitch in protest against a referee decision can be red-carded. The rule was introduced after almost the entire Senegal team walked off after a controversial penalty call in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco. Senegal went on to win the match but was stripped of the title later.
No change
Neither Germany nor the European body UEFA will introduce mandatory hydration breaks which take place mid-way through each half at the World Cup.
