The rule follows Yanga’s Sh100 million fine for a dressing room violation during matches against JKT Tanzania and Simba
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has unveiled a series of major regulatory changes for the 2026/2027 football season, including a new rule that will see clubs deducted five league points if they are found to have avoided designated dressing rooms without valid reasons.
TFF President Wallace Karia announced the changes during a press conference at the federation's headquarters in Karume, Dar es Salaam, saying the measures are intended to improve discipline, fairness and transparency in domestic football competitions.
Karia said the dressing room regulation was introduced after repeated complaints from clubs regarding the condition and suitability of changing facilities at match venues.
To ensure such complaints are handled fairly, the federation has purchased specialised equipment that will be used to investigate claims before any disciplinary action is taken.
"There have been numerous complaints from clubs about dressing rooms. We have now acquired equipment that will help us investigate those complaints and determine whether there was a genuine reason for a team to refuse using the designated facilities," said Karia. He explained that if an investigation establishes that a team abandoned the official dressing room without a legitimate reason, the club will automatically be docked five league points, regardless of the result of the match.
"The rule is clear. If a team is found to have used another dressing room without justification, it will lose five points even if it won the match," he said.
The announcement comes after a recent case involving Young Africans SC (Yanga), who were fined Sh100m for using the house near Major General Isamuhyo instead of the designated dressing rooms during matches against JKT Tanzania and their traditional rivals Simba in Dar es Salaam.
Besides the new dressing room regulation, TFF also announced that Tanzania will introduce Video Support Technology instead of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
Karia said the federation opted for Video Support Technology because it is significantly cheaper than VAR while still allowing referees to review key incidents during matches.
"This technology will help our referees make better decisions because it is affordable and within our financial capacity. At the moment, implementing VAR would be too expensive," he said.
He added that the new system will also allow coaches to request reviews of controversial decisions during matches. However, to avoid unnecessary delays, each team will be limited to four review requests per game.
"If we allowed unlimited reviews, every minute someone would be asking for one. Our experts from abroad are continuing to train local officials on how the system will operate," Karia explained. Karia also addressed a proposed regulation that had circulated widely on social media regarding the control of football analysts and commentators over their public opinions.
He clarified that although the proposal had been submitted by various football stakeholders, particularly clubs, it was ultimately removed after legal consultation.
According to Karia, TFF has no legal authority to regulate or discipline football analysts because that responsibility falls under other institutions established by Tanzanian law. The new regulations will come into effect at the beginning of the 2026/2027 season as TFF seeks to strengthen governance, improve match administration and raise the overall standards of football in Tanzania.
