Soccer rules ahead of 2019-20 season

By Mbekezeli Ncube

SPORTS Journalists Association (SPOJA) Southern Region on Saturday held a workshop on the updated rules of the game changes made by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

Addressing a panel of journalists at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, Sabelo Sibindi, a renowned female referee said the rules that will change with effect from 2019-2020 season are meant to improve player behaviors, playing time as well as increasing fairness and attractiveness of the game.

'The law is changing, in fact it is changing faster than the ball is played, we have to adjust to certain amendments because if we do not adjust faster and go into the new year with old rules we will have problems because we are not following the sequence of the game,' said Sibindi.

Laws that are affected by the changes are law three (substitutes), law four (players equipment), law five (decisions of the referee), law seven (match duration), law eight (start and restart of play), law nine (ball in and out of play),law 10 (determining the outcome of a match), law 12 (fouls and misconduct, law 13 (free kicks), law 14 (penalty kicks), law 15, (throw in) and law 16 (goal kicks).

Under the new rules IFAB will now see a substituted player or players leave the pitch at the nearest touchline instead of walking across to the team's technical department, this move will see reduced time wasting tactics.

In one of the other major rules, coaches will once again receive cards, a rule that was shelved some time back.

The IFAB also amended the start and restart of play which will see a team that won the toss choosing either the side to attack or the kick off. If they choose to kick off, the player taking the kick off can not kick the ball again until it has touched another player.

In the issue of drop-ball, the ball is now dropped for the goalkeeper as long as the last touch was in the 18 area. When the referee stops play outside the 18 area, the ball is now given to the team or player that last touched the ball. In a situation where the ball hits the referee and goes into goal, the goal no longer stands.

Regarding free kicks, players from the team that is attacking will have to be at least one meter away from the wall when a free kick is taken. When there is a wall of three or more defenders, the attackers are forbidden to go within one metre of the wall, an attacker who is within the required distance when the kick is taken will be penalised with an indirect free kick.

The new goal kick rule will mean that the ball does not have to leave the penalty area, the match resumes once the kick is taken.

In rules pertaining penalties, the defending goalkeeper must remain on the goal line facing the penalty taker between the goalposts, without touching the goalposts or cross bar until the ball has been kicked. The player tacking the penalty kick must kick the ball forward. Back heeling is permitted providing that the ball is moving forward.

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