Highlights
- Football’s lawmakers, IFAB, have agreed on five new rule changes, which will come into effect for the 2024/24 season.
- Three new trials were also announced by IFAB in an attempt to help referees regulate player behaviour.
- The introduction of blue cards was not included in IFAB’s report, with fans and managers against the new proposed policy.
Football’s lawmakers – also known as the International FA Board (IFAB) – have agreed on five new rules to be implemented into the game, while three rules are set to undergo a trial process after being granted approval from IFAB during its 138th Annual General Meeting (AGM), hosted by the Scottish Football Association at Loch Lomond, Scotland.
Player behaviour has become a bigger problem in the Premier League and wider football. And now, the sport’s top chiefs are looking to put rules in place to enhance the exclusivity of the sport – with officials given more freedom and protection.
The five new rules to be introduced
Will come into effect from 1 July 2024
It was reported in early February that football’s chief lawmakers were set to discuss the implementation of five new rules for the next campaign – but now they have been approved. But what are they, and when will they be introduced?
There have been five alterations to the next edition of ‘The Laws of the Game’ with the changes taking effect from 1 July 2024. That said, any competitions kicking off before that date are free to implement them earlier or delay their implementation until no later than the start of the subsequent competition.
Teams will be allowed additional permanent concussion substitutions, outside their allotted allowance, if any player is showing signs of a concussion, regardless of the number of substitutions they have made already. However, this is set to be a case by case competition option in accordance with the necessary protocol.
Two changes have been made to Law 4: The Players’ Equipment. Players are solely responsible for the size and suitability of shinguards to optimise player protection at all times, while each team must have a captain with a visible and identifiable armband. Elsewhere, in terms of Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct, any handball offence that is deemed to not be deliberate, which results in a penalty, is set to be handled in the same manner as fouls.
When stepping up to take a penalty, a new rule states that players must ensure that part of the ball is touching or overhanging the centre of the penalty spot. Adding to this, encroachment by outfield players will only be penalised – and have a detrimental effect – if it has an impact on the player shooting from 12 yards out.
Three new trials confirmed
Looking to improve participant behaviour
Two trials that are designed to aid referees in regulating player behaviour have been approved at the IFAB AGM. Captain-only zones, where only the skipper of each side is allowed to approach the referee, will be introduced to prevent the official being bombarded once they’ve made a decision.
In the event of mass confrontations, referees have been given the go-ahead to halt matches, which will be known as cooling-off periods. The man in black will be allowed to tell teams to go to their own penalty area to ensure that all involved parties have ‘calmed down’ and are ready to resume.
Goalkeepers are also going to benefit from these new changes – with their allotted time they are allowed to hold the ball being increased from six to eight seconds. In the result of them holding the ball longer than their eight-second period, possession will be awarded to the opposition team.
Blue cards not included in trials or rule changes
Gianni Infantino ‘completely opposed’ its integration
Details of the sin bin trial, which were going to be reflected by the proposed blue card, were close to being published by IFAB last month – but fans and football chiefs alike were publicly against its integration. Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, said his organisation was “completely opposed” to blue cards being used in the top level of football.
Why the Blue Card in Football is Now ‘in Danger of Being Scrapped’
The game’s lawmakers will meet on Saturday to discuss bringing in sin-bins but the blue card may be binned.
However, in the latest news released by IFAB, there was no mention of blue cards. The report did suggest that “current guidelines to temporary dismissals in youth and grassroots football” had been “improved”. Once these changes have been reviewed by the higher-ups, only then will wider application of sin bins and blue cards be taken into consideration.
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