BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE International Football Association Board (IFAB) has announced several changes to the playing conditions for the sports discipline.
According to the body, the game is constantly changing and, taking the competitive levels at which being played into account, the authorities need to keep an eye on bringing new rules to ensure the game remains progressive.
The IFAB, which consist of four British Associations (Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland) and FIFA, had decided that as of June 1 the new rules would take effect for the 2016/2017 football season across the world.
Changes of the rules is to ensure that referees have more power and authority over players when officiating games
A noticeable change to the laws of the games is the offside rule, where hands and arms are no longer included when judging for offside.
Below is a list of changes proposed by FIFA and IFAB:
• Denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO) in the penalty area is no longer automatically a straight red card, unless: (1) the offence involves holding, pulling or pushing; (2) if there’s no attempt to play the ball or no possibility of making a challenge or (3) if the offence would be punishable by a red card, no matter where it happened on the field (i.e., violent conduct);
• Hands and arms are no longer included when judging offside;
• Restarts following offside decisions will be taken at the spot where the attacker is when the referee whistled for offside. For example, if a player is offside when the ball is played, but runs toward his own goal to receive the ball, the free kick to restart play will be taken where the attacker receives the ball, not where he started his run;
• The ball no longer has to move forward at a kickoff. It only needs to move for the game to start;
• Players who are injured as a result of a red or yellow card foul do not need to leave the field after receiving treatment;
• On penalty kick attempts, if a goalkeeper moves off his line prior to the ball being kicked, he will be issued an automatic yellow card. If the kick is missed when the goalkeeper moves off his line prior to the ball being kicked, the attempt will be retaken. The rule will apply in penalty kick shootouts, as well as in regular play;
• If a foul occurs off the field of play, the game will be restarted with a free kick on the sideline or endline. If a defender fouls an attacker off the field but in between the goal and the edge of the penalty area, it will result in a penalty kick. Previously, all fouls that occurred off the field resulted in a drop ball; and
• Time taken for water breaks – which are held if certain weather conditions are met prior to kickoff – can now be officially added on at the end of a half.
The Copa Americana tournament currently underway is the first major international competition that would see these and other rule changes being implemented. (Source MLS)
