Ruleside
New for 2026/27·Law 5·From 1 July 2026

VAR and the Corner That Should Have Been a Goal Kick

A clearly wrong corner kick can now be corrected by VAR, but only if the competition has opted in, only if it happens immediately, and only in one direction.

Previous rule

A corner kick was not a reviewable decision at all.

New rule

A clearly incorrect corner kick may be corrected where the competition has adopted the option and the change costs no delay.

What changed

The protocol adds a reviewable item: a clearly incorrectly awarded corner kick, if the decision can be changed immediately and without delaying the restart. It is a competition option rather than part of every VAR match, and it is the one reviewable item the protocol's own principles carve out.

Why it matters

Read the wording for what it does not say. It covers a corner that should not have been given, so a corner can become a goal kick. It says nothing about a goal kick that should have been a corner, so that stays uncorrectable. And immediately means immediately: a team that knows the corner was wrong and takes it quickly puts it beyond review.

Scenarios

A corner given off the attacker's own foot

Replays show the last touch was the attacker's, and the referee has awarded a corner. Nobody has moved to take it.

Correct call: Correctable to a goal kick if the competition has adopted the option and it can be done now.
Common mistake: Expecting it in every VAR match. It is a competition option, not a principle of the protocol.
Verdict: goal-kick

A goal kick that should have been a corner

The last touch was clearly the defender's and the referee has given a goal kick.

Correct call: Not reviewable. The protocol names the corner kick only, and the correction runs one way.
Common mistake: Reading the item as covering both restarts.
Verdict: no-review
The law
Law 5 · 4. Video assistant referee (VAR)
The referee may be assisted by a video assistant referee (VAR) only in the event of a ‘clear and obvious error' or ‘serious missed incident' in relation to:
clearly incorrectly awarded corner kick if the decision can be changed immediately and without delaying the restart (competition option)