Football’s new rules to debut with Fed Cup
Waste of time during change of players and injuries, irrational interference before free-kicks, positioning a man on the defensive wall during free-kicks by the free-kick taking teams, goalkeepers distracting penalty-takers, arguing with referees from the dugout and some other issues which hinder the flow of the game used to be commonplace in football.
To mitigate these issues, a set of changes in the rules prepared by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has already come into effect from June 1, 2019. The new rules are set to be introduced in Bangladesh through the season’s curtain-raising Federation Cup, which starts tomorrow.
The IFAB, which sets the laws of association football, made changes in some basic rules regarding dropped ball, free-kick, goal-kick, kick-off, penalty-kick, quick free-kick, yellow and red card, handball, goal celebration, substitution, players’ equipment and team officials for 2019 and 2020.
From now on, the ball will be dropped for one player of the team that last touched the ball and the opponent players must be at least 4-metres/4.5-yards away if play was stopped outside the penalty area. However, the ball will be dropped for the goalkeeper if play was stopped inside the penalty area. Earlier, the rule was to drop the ball in front of the opposition player, who had sent the ball far or outside the pitch.
According to the new rules, when there is a wall of three or more defenders, attackers will be allowed within one metre of the wall while when the defending team takes free-kick inside their own penalty area, play is on and the ball does not need to leave the penalty area which remain same in goal-kick too.
The team that wins the toss can choose to take kick-off or which goal to attack instead of having only the choice of which goal to attack while players being substituted must leave the field by the nearest point of the touchline/goalline The referee can show red and yellow card later in case of team attacking team taking a quick free-kick and creating a goal-scoring opportunity.
During penalty-kicks, goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot on/in the line with the goalline when the kick is taken; he cannot stand behind the line. Goalkeeper even cannot touch the goalpost/crossbar/net, and must not move when the opponent player takes the spot-kick.
The referee can also show yellow and red card to the head coach in technical area if he cannot identity the offenders due to misconduct during play.
“FIFA has brought these changes to bring more pace in the game because some 20 to 25 minutes were earlier used to be wasted due to different issues on the field. I think the changes in laws will make the game more attractive,” said BFF referees’ committee’s co-chairman Ibrahim Nesar.
Nesar informed that they have already held seminar at 10 out of 13 clubs and are about to conduct seminars at three more clubs – Bashundhara Kings, Bangladesh Police and Uttar Baridhara Club – regarding educating players on the rule changes.
“We already held two seminars in June-September to inform referees of the changes and we are going to hold a third tomorrow [Tuesday] with referees and match commissioners,” Nesar said. “Rules are being changed continuously and referees will be used to the new rules with time.”
“I think it helps the game; the new rules which allow players to receive the ball inside the box will give an incentive to play from the back,” said Abahani’s Portuguese coach Mario Lemos, who believes his players are aware of the new rules as they watch European football regularly.
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