Fifa RULE CHANGES FOR THE 2019-20 SEASON

Goal Kicks and Free kicks taken by the defending team inside the penalty area

From the start of next season at goal kicks and Free kicks taken by the defending team inside the penalty area, the ball is now in play when it is KICKED AND CLEARLY MOVES.

The ball no longer has to leave the penalty area to be in play.

Attacking players in the usual manner MUST be outside the penalty area until the ball is played. Defending players can be inside the penalty area.

Once the ball has been kicked, apart from the player taking the goal kick or free kick, players from either side can play the ball even if the ball is still inside the penalty area.

Substitutes leaving the field of play

If you are the player being substituted and you have received permission from the referee you now MUST LEAVE THE FIELD AT THE NEAREST POINT ON THE BOUNDARY LINE UNLESS DIRECTED DIFFERENTLY BY THE REFEREE.

You must then go immediately to one of the following:

• the Technical Area, or

• dressing room, or

• the area where your coach is standing in grassroots football.

Drop Ball

Drop balls will now be uncontested and the team that's not in possession can be no closer than four metres to the ball.

Whatever the reason for the stoppage, including moments when play is stopped due to an injury, the team in possession of the ball will resume their possession wherever play was halted. This removes the need for acts of fair play that sometimes involve a team blasting the ball long distances as a means of returning possession to the opposition. 

“All the gamesmanship of dropping the ball and kicking it out of bounds all the way down to the corner, or trying to take advantage and starting an attack, all of that is going to be gone."

The ball hits the Referee

If the ball hits a referee and possession changes, or goes into the goal, the game will be stopped and a drop ball will be used to return possession to the team originally in control of it.

Defensive Walls of 3 or more players

When the referee awards a free kick, in the usual manner the defensive wall must be a minimum 9.15m (10 yards) away from the ball.

Now, if the defensive ‘wall’ is made up of three or more players all ATTACKING team players must be at least one metre from the ‘wall’;

If the ATTACKING players encroach, the referee will award an indirect free kick to the defending team.

Handball

Deliberate handball remains an offence

The following ‘handball’ situations, even if accidental, will be a free kick:

• the ball goes into the goal after touching an attacking player’s hand/arm

• a player gains control/possession of the ball after it has touches their hand/arm and then scores, or creates a goal-scoring opportunity

• the ball touches a player’s hand/arm which has made their body unnaturally bigger

• the ball touches a player’s hand/arm when it is above their shoulder (unless the player has deliberately played the ball which then touches their hand/arm)

The following will not usually be a free kick, unless they are one of the above situations:

• the ball touches a player’s hand/arm directly from their own head/body/foot or the head/body/foot of another player who is close/near

• the ball touches a player’s hand/arm which is close to their body and has not made their body unnaturally bigger

• if a player is falling and the ball touches their hand/arm when it is between their body and the ground to support the body (but not extended to make the body bigger)

• If the goalkeeper attempts to ‘clear’ (release into play) a throw-in or deliberate kick from a team-mate but the ‘clearance’ fails, the goalkeeper can then handle the ball

Coin Toss

The team that wins the toss can now choose to take the kick-off, or which goal to attack (previously they only had the choice of which goal to attack).

Penalty kick

The team’s penalty taker can have (quick) treatment/assessment and then take the kick.

The goalkeeper must not be touching the goalposts/crossbar/nets; they must not be moving.

The goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot on/in line with the goal line when the kick is taken and cannot stand behind the line.

Yellow and Red Cards for Team officials

A team official guilty of misconduct will be shown a Yellow Card (caution) or Red Card (sending off)*;

if the offender cannot be identified, the senior coach who is in the technical area at the time will receive the Yellow Card / Red Card.

Temporary Dismissals (Sin Bins)

Tempoarary Dismissals (Sin Bins) will be used for DISSENT CAUTIONS ONLY. The player can re-join play after the 10 minute Sin Bin period, except where shown in the table below.

If the sin bin period has not expired at the end of the first half, the remainder of the period will begin at the start of the second half. The same applies for start of Extra Time and at half time of Extra Time.

Any player allowed to re-join play at the end of the sin bin period is able to take part in a penalty shoot-out if one is required even if the sin bin period has not expired.

If a team is reduced to less than 7 players because a player has been sent to the sin bin, the game can continue if the player is able to re-join play, or be substituted, at the end of the period. If the player cannot re-join play, or be substituted, the game will be abandoned when the player is sent to the sin bin.

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