Rule Changes

Goal kicks rule has changed as well.  Ball is in play as soon as touched, not when it leaves the area.

Addick Addict said:

Substitutions

Whenever a player is substituted, they must exit the field at the nearest point.

This has been introduced to stop players on the opposite side of the pitch walking to the far dugout late on in games.

Bet we see players scrambling to get to the centre circle now!

See how many rolls the likes of Neymar or Suarez can complete to end up there should the law be adopted worldwide... 

Not sure about the goal kick change. Doesn't that mean the game reverting back to aimless punts up the field at goal kicks?

Addickted said:

It's LAWS ffs.

I think this may be rules though.  Premier League ones is how I read it.

Or is it applied in Champions League etc?

Red_in_SE8 said:

Not sure about the goal kick change. Doesn't that mean the game reverting back to aimless punts up the field at goal kicks?

no, means you can play it even shorter, keeper can now give possession to a team mate inside the box rather than the defender not being able to touch it till its left the box

Does it really matter if the Goalkeeper touches the posts before a kick is taken?

Never really seen the point of it

If an attacking player is already standing where the defence want to make a wall, who moves? 

cafcdave123 said:

Red_in_SE8 said:

Not sure about the goal kick change. Doesn't that mean the game reverting back to aimless punts up the field at goal kicks?

no, means you can play it even shorter, keeper can now give possession to a team mate inside the box rather than the defender not being able to touch it till its left the box

No, that can't be right.  An attacker could stand in front of the goal kick being taken and basically block tackle the goalie as it's kicked if that were the case.  I think it's more that the ball was not live until it's left the penalty area previously, but now it is and so any "fouls" committed while it is still in the penalty box count. Players have always been in the penalty box when goal kicks are taken, but cannot touch the ball until it has left said box.

Red_in_SE8 said:

Will players be allowed to stand inside the penalty box whilst the goal kick is being taken? My understanding is they can't enter penalty box until ball is in play. Previously  if a team pressed aggressively the defender had option of stepping into penalty so kick has to be retaken. This rule means it will be just too risky to pass to a defender if the attacking team press at goal kicks.

if the ball didn't make it out of the box of its own accord (keeper hasn't kicked it hard enough) it would be retaken, is that the case if the defender touches it before it leaves the box?

redman said:

Are you saying these rules just apply to the Premier League and no other league or competition? 

Law changes, which generally start in June, are universal

PeterGage said:

redman said:

Are you saying these rules just apply to the Premier League and no other league or competition? 

Law changes, which generally start in June, are universal

thought it would have to be. Thanks for confirmation. never sure about some of this tinkering though. Gets very confusing for fans at times and this alone can't make ref's job any easier. In fact I say fans, but it also happens to managers, coaches, commentators and expert summarisers. Seen examples of them all

cafcfan1990 said:

Goalkeepers not being able to move is stupid and a big advantage to the penalty taker, although having at least one foot on the line is a positive. Be interested to hear what the punishment is on those. 

Like the subs one too, but agreed players will be as central as possible when they know there about to be substituted. Would prefer the ref having more responsibility to brandish cards if a player is strolling off to waste time. 

But shouldn't that be the case anyway? Why should the keeper have an advantage or even a level playing field? 

The actual issue with the awarding of a penalty is that it is a punishment that is a "catch all". It is the same whether a player is tripped on the edge of the box going nowhere as it is for stopping a certain goal as a result of handball on the line. Yes the latter offence would result in a sending off but one player less does not guarantee any change in the score - and yet the player in the case of the handball was certain to score.

Perhaps we should do away with the penalty spot and just have a direct free kick from wherever the offence was committed with no other player apart from the keeper between the taker and the goal? So, handball on the line would be a certain goal because the keeper would have to stand 10 yards back i.e. behind the line!

The interesting point for me and not yet clarified in press reports I have read, is:

The ball hits Naby's arm in our defensive penalty area and the referee allows the game to continue as no "offence" has been committed. We break away and score and the referee denies the goal under the new law change. Does the ref restart the game with a penalty to the opposition? Or how else does he restart the game? Interesting times!

Goalkeepers picking up backpasses (sort of), uncontested drop balls and more handball decisions - football's laws are changing again.

From 1 June (although not for that day's Champions League final) there are 12 changes from the International Football Association Board (Ifab) to get your head around for next season.

Some are quite trivial but several could make a big difference to the game.

Drop balls

Drop balls can no longer be contested, but the change is more positive than it sounds.

If play is stopped, the ball will be dropped to a player on the team that last touched the ball - and where they touched it. All other players must be 4.5 yards (4m) away.

What that means is if a team's attack is stopped, they will get the ball back in that position - instead of the opponents booting the ball down the field.

However, any play stopped in a penalty area will be returned to the goalkeeper, even if the attacking team had the ball.

Another big change now sees a drop ball awarded if the ball hits the referee and goes to the other team as a result, or if the referee accidentally scores a goal (as happened in the Dutch fourth division a week before the law change).

Handballs

The law remains that deliberate handball is an offence. But accidental handball will also be a free-kick if...

• the ball goes into the goal off an attacker
• a player gets the ball using his arm or hand and then scores, or creates a goalscoring opportunity
• a player's hand or arm has made their body "unnaturally bigger"
• the player's arm or hand is above their shoulder (unless the player has controlled the ball onto his own arm or hand)

But a handball will not be a free-kick if...

• the ball is knocked on to a hand by the player in question or a nearby player
• the arm or hand is close to their body and "has not made their body unnaturally bigger"
• if a player is falling and the ball touches their hand or arm when it is between their body and the ground to support the body - but not extended to make the body bigger

Another change to the handball rule relates to the goalkeeper.

If the goalkeeper attempts to clear ("release into play") a throw-in or backpass and their clearance fails, then they can handle the ball.

Ifab says this is because "when the goalkeeper clearly kicks or tries to kick the ball into play, this shows no intention to handle the ball".

Goal-kicks

Another change involving goalkeepers is to goal-kicks, which can now be played to a team-mate who is inside the penalty area.

The law now says the ball is considered in play once the kick is taken. Until now a goal-kick had to be retaken if it did not leave the box.

It could make a big difference to teams like Liverpool and Manchester City, whose defenders could drop into the box to receive a goal-kick from Alisson or Ederson.

Opponents must still remain outside the penalty area until the kick is taken.

Free-kicks

When a defending team has three or more players in a wall, the attacking team can no longer place a player in or next to it.

If an attacker is standing within one yard (1m) of the wall when the kick is taken, they will be penalised with an indirect free-kick.

Another change means - similar to the goal-kick change above - if a defending team takes a free-kick in their own area, the ball is considered in play immediately and does not have to leave the box before another player touches it. Again, opponents must remain outside the box.

Quick free-kicks

If the referee is about to show a yellow or red card but the non-offending team takes a quick free-kick and creates a scoring chance, the official can come back and show the card when the ball goes out of play.

Before now, the card would have to be shown before the free-kick could be taken.

However, if the referee had distracted the offending team by starting to show the card, the quick free-kick is not allowed.

Also if the offence was going to be a red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, but the opposition take a quick free-kick, then the player will only be booked because the other team are considered to have restarted their attack.

Penalties

The laws have changed concerning what goalkeepers can do for penalties.

The penalty kick cannot be taken while the goalkeeper is touching the woodwork or nets - or if the net or posts are still moving after being touched.

The goalkeeper must have one of his feet partly on the goalline (or above it if jumping) when the kick is taken. He cannot stand behind or in front of the line.

The other change to penalties means an attacker can take a penalty if he needed treatment (as long as the treatment is quick).

Before now, a player would have to go off the field until after the kick was taken if he needed medical help.

Substitutions

A player who is being substituted must leave the pitch by the nearest point on the touchline or byeline - unless the referee says he can leave quickly at the halfway line - or elsewhere for safety or injury reasons.

This change is to stop players time-wasting. Any player who "infringes the spirit of this law" will be booked for unsporting behaviour.

Cards for coaches

A team official guilty of misconduct can be shown a yellow card or red card. If the offender cannot be identified, the senior coach in the technical area at the time will receive the card.

That new system was trialled in the EFL during the 2018-19 season and is now being introduced worldwide.

The other changes

A player can now be booked for celebrating - for removing his shirt or celebrating with the fans - even if the goal is disallowed.

The team that wins the pre-match coin toss can now choose whether to take the kick-off or which goal to attack - previously they could only choose which goal to attack.

There is now a difference between cooling breaks (90 seconds to three minutes) and drinks breaks (maximum of one minute) in certain competitions played in high humidity and temperatures.

Multi-coloured or patterned undershirts are allowed if they are the same as the sleeve of the main shirt.