Canada-Bosnia match sees first enforced throw-in penalty at World Cup 2026

World Cup 2026 produced a small piece of history on Friday in the 1-1 draw between Canada and Bosnia, when one of the tournament’s new laws was applied for the first time. The match was the third of the tournament, and the rule had been added to football’s laws before the World Cup but had not yet been used in the first two games.

In the 57th minute, Bosnia were supposed to take a throw-in but lost possession, which gave Canada the throw instead. The explanation is that a referee must count five seconds with a raised hand when a team wastes time on a throw-in, and if that team still fails to restart play, the opposition receives the throw from the same spot. Bosnia therefore surrendered a chance to keep the ball in Canada’s half.

The historic lapse was credited to Sead Kolasinac, who had set up Bosnia’s goal but later was involved in the error that led to Canada gaining the throw-in. About 20 minutes later, substitute Cyle Larin equalized for Canada, and the match finished 1-1.

The article notes that this is only one of the first laws to be tested in live competition. Other new sanctions for serious time-wasting include sending a player off for one minute and, if a goalkeeper delays play, awarding a corner kick to the opposition. The biggest change so far, however, has been mandatory water breaks in every match, regardless of the weather, in the name of fairness.