Rules Of The Game

Here is a simplified version of this year’s key law changes to help prepare clubs, managers, players, referees and spectators for the new season.

Law 1 – The Field of Play

Yellow cards (YCs) and warnings are not carried forward into kicks from the penalty mark (KFPM)
See also changes to Law 14 relating to KFPM

Deliberate handball by a defending player is considered ‘deliberate play’ for offside

Handball:
the boundary between the shoulder and the arm is defined as the bottom of the armpit
‘accidental’ handball by an attacking player (or team-mate) is only penalised if it occurs ‘immediately’ before a goal or clear goal-scoring opportunity
A goalkeeper can receive a YC or be sent off (RC) for ‘illegally’ touching the ball a second time after a restart (e.g. goal kick, free kick etc.) even if the touch is with the hand/arm
Any offence (not only a foul) which ‘interferes with or stops a promising attack’ should result in a YC
A player who fails to respect the 4m required distance at a dropped ball should receive a YC
If the referee plays advantage or allows a ‘quick’ free kick for an offence which ‘interfered with or stopped a promising attack’, the YC is not issued

An offence by the goalkeeper is not penalised if a penalty kick misses the goal or rebounds from the goal (without a touch from the goalkeeper) unless the offence clearly affected the kicker
The goalkeeper is warned for the first offence; it is a YC for any further offence(s)
The kicker is penalised if the goalkeeper and the kicker offend at exactly the same time

A definition of the offence of holding has been included
A player’s position at a restart is the position of the feet or any part of the body which is touching the ground (except as outlined in Law 11 – Offside)

Please click here to view an IFAB Presentation with video examples explaining the new changes or download the resources below