Laws of the Game 2019/20David EllerayTechnical Director, The IFAB

InaccordancewiththerequirementsofTheIFABthatpotentialLawchangesshouldbeconsideredwithinthestructureoftheplayfair! initiative,allchangesfor2019/20fallintoatleastoneoftheinitiative’sthreefocusareas.Manyofthechangesreflectsolutionto‘problems’asidebyallpartsofthefootballfamily.

Philosophy

Laws of the Game 2019/20

increasing fairness and attractiveness

increasing playing time

improving player behaviour and increasing respect

Laws of the Game 2019/20Experiments

Substituted player leaving the field

SubstitutedplayerleavingthefieldofplayRationaleforthechangeTheplayerwhoisbeingsubstitutedmustnowleaveatthenearestpoint(aswithaninjury)unlesstherefereeindicatesotherwisee.g.thattheplayercanleavequicklyatthehalfwaylineorbecauseofasafety/securityissueorbecausetheplayerisinjured(andneedstoleaveonastretcher).

Thesubstitutedplayermustgostraighttothetechnicalareaordressingroomtoavoidinterferingwithmatchofficials,substitutesetc.andtoavoidproblemswithspectators.

AplayerwhoinfringesthespiritofthisLawshouldbesanctionedbytherefereefordelayingtherestart.

Experiments

Laws of the Game 2019/20

Yellow and red cards for team officials

YellowandredcardsforteamofficialsRationaleforthechangeTheexperimentwithaYC/RCformisconductbyteamofficialshasbeensuccessfulandhasmanybenefitsatalllevels,includingforyoungrefereesdealingwith‘difficult’adultcoaches.

Ifanoffenceoccursandtheoffendercannotbeidentified,theseniorteamofficialwhoisinthetechnicalareaatthetimeoftheoffencewill,asthepersonresponsiblefortheotherteamofficials,receivetheYC/RC.

Experiments

Laws of the Game 2019/20

Goal kick and defending team free kick in their penalty area

GoalkickanddefendingteamfreekickintheirpenaltyareaRationaleforthechangeTheexperimentsthatatagoalkick/defendingteamfreekickinthepenaltyareatheballisinplayonceitiskicked anddoesnothavetoleavethepenaltyarea haveproducedafasterandmoreconstructiverestart.

Opponentsmustremainoutsidethepenaltyarea(andatleast9.15mawayforfreekicks)untiltheballisinplay.

Experiments

Laws of the Game 2019/20

Dropped ball

DroppedballRationaleforthechangeThecurrentdroppedballprocedureis unsatisfactoryasitoftenleadstoconfrontationora‘manufactured’restartwhichis‘exploited’unfairly(e.g.kickingtheballoutforathrow-indeepintheopponents’half).

Theprocedurehasbeenimprovedsothedroppedballbecomes‘uncontested’:

• Theballwillbedroppedforthegoalkeeper ifwhenplaywasstoppedtheball/lasttouchwasinthepenaltyarea• Inallothercases,theballisdropped foroneplayeroftheteamthatlasttouchedtheball.• Allotherplayers(ofbothteams)mustbeatleast4m(4.5yds)awayuntiltheballisinplay.

Dropped ball

Laws of the Game 2019/20

DroppedballRationaleforthechangeItcanbeveryunfairif,becausetheballhashitamatchofficial(especiallythereferee),ateam:

• gainspossession• startsanewattack• scoresagoal

Intheseisituations,adroppedballwillbegiven.

Dropped ball

Laws of the Game 2019/20

Attackers in the defensive ‘wall’

Thedefensive‘wall’RationaleforthechangeThereisnolegitimatetacticalreasonforplayersfromtheattackingteamtobe inthedefensive‘wall’

Theattackingteammustbeatleast1mfromthe‘wall’.

AnattackingplayerencroachingatthefreekickwillbepenalisedwithanindirectFK.

Attacking players in the defensive ‘wall’

2. Laws of the Game 2019/20

Handball

Law12– FOULSANDMISCONDUCTRationaleforthechangeHandball isthemost‘unclear’areaoftheLawswhich causesmuchconfusion,inconsistencyandcontroversy.

Itcreatessituationswheredefenders oftendonotstandnaturallybuttrytohide theirarmsbehindtheirback.

Handball

Laws of the Game 2019/20

Law12– FOULSANDMISCONDUCTRationaleforthechangeTheLawsrelatingto‘fouls’and‘offside’wereimprovedbymovingthefocus from‘intent/interference’(mental)to‘outcome/impact’(physical);asimilarchangehasbeenmadeforsome‘non-deliberate’handballsituationsandwhenitisunclearifthehandballisdeliberate.Playersmustunderstandthatthey‘takearisk’ofbeingpenalisedwhentheirhand/armisincertainpositions.Theconceptof‘natural’positionofthearm(verydifficulttointerpret)hadbeenremoved.Thefocus nowismorefactual - whetherthepositionofthehand/armhas‘madethebodyunnaturallybigger’i.e.hasthehand/armhadtheeffectofcreatingabiggerbarrier’fortheball/opponent(outsidethenormal‘playingsilhouette’)?

Handball

Laws of the Game 2019/20

Definitionofhandballoffences

Law12– FOULSANDMISCONDUCTItisanoffenceifaplayer:• deliberatelytouchestheballwiththeirhand/arm,includingmovingthehand/armtowardstheball• gainspossession/controloftheballafterithastouchedtheirhand/armandthen:• scoresintheopponents’goal• createsagoal-scoringopportunity

• scoresintheopponents’goaldirectlyfromtheirhand/arm,evenifaccidental,includingbythegoalkeeper

Handball

Laws of the Game 2019/20

Definitionofhandballoffences

Law12– FOULSANDMISCONDUCTItisusuallyanoffenceifaplayer:• touchestheballwiththeirhand/armwhen:• thehand/armhasmadetheirbodyunnaturallybigger• thehand/armisabove/beyondtheirshoulderlevel(unlesstheplayerdeliberatelyplaystheballwhichthen

touchestheirhand/arm)

Handball

Laws of the Game 2019/20

Definitionofhandballoffences

Law12– FOULSANDMISCONDUCTExceptfortheaboveoffences,itisnotusuallyanoffenceiftheballtouchesaplayer’shand/arm:• directlyfromtheplayer’sownheadorbody(includingthefoot)• directlyfromtheheadorbody(includingthefoot)ofanotherplayerwhoisclose• ifthehand/armisclosetothebodyanddoesnotmakethebodyunnaturallybigger• whenaplayerisfallingandthehand/armisbetweenthebodyandthegroundtosupportthebody

butnotextendedlaterallyorverticallyawayfromthebody

Handball

Laws of the Game 2019/20

Laws of the Game 2019/20Other changes

• Ifateam’spenaltytakerisinjuredandrequirestreatment theycanstayaftertreatmentandtakethekick• Captainwinningthetosscannowchosethe kick-off• Atapenaltykickthegoalkeeperonlyneedstohaveonefootonthe goalline• Whenthegoalkeeper clearlykicksortriestokicktheballwiththeintentionofreleasingitintoplay iftheclearanceisunsuccessful,he/shecanthenhandletheball

• Ifteamtakeaquickfreekickandcreateagoal-scoringopportunityrefereecandelayYC/RCuntilnextstoppage

Other changes

Laws of the Game 2019/20