Major League Soccer announced on Tuesday three new rules that will go into effect for all league games starting Saturday, which is when the Crew are set to take on the Portland Timbers.

The three new rules have little to do with the actual gameplay. Rather they will impact the moments in between the action.

Here's what to know about all three.

New rule: Off-field treatment

If an injured player is down for longer than 15 seconds and needs medical attention, the team's medical staff will be asked to assess the injury on the sidelines once it is safe for the player to be moved. Once a player has made it to the sideline, they must remain off the field for at least two minutes while being evaluated.

The off-field treatment rule is an attempt to resume play more quickly after a game-stopping injury. The league also hopes it will allow medical staff to treat players in a "less pressurized environment." There are exceptions to the rule, such as head injuries and injuries that result in a yellow or red card.

This will be the first time this rule is utilized on the first-team level but has been in effect at the MLS NEXT Pro level since the middle of the 2022 season.

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New rule: Timed Substitution

Also tested at the MLS NEXT Pro level were timed substitutions. Those require players coming out of the game to be off the field within 10 seconds after the fourth official raises the substitution card. Subbed out players are also required to leave via the nearest boundary line. If they fail to meet those requirements, the player entering the game will have to wait for a "60-second holding period," and that player's team will be down a man during that time.

Once the 60 seconds are up, the substitution will be able to enter the match at the next stoppage.

The two exceptions are when the substitute enters the match for an injured player and when a goalkeeper substitution occurs.

According to MLS, when testing this rule at the NEXT Pro level, "99.7% of the more than 3,200 substitutions were completed in 10 seconds or less" during the 2023 season.

New rule: In-stadium VAR Announcements

Fans will no longer have to wonder what the referees were looking at and deciding during VAR review because now they will be announcing their decisions.

This rule was first announced during the preseason and was supposed to be implemented earlier but was postponed due to the Professional Soccer Referee Strike.

bmackay@dispatch.com

@brimackay15

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: MLS set to implement three new rules into league play this Saturday