EPL to introduce three new changes

The International Football Association Board has announced new changes to the Laws of the Game, including alterations to VAR, handball and penalty kick decisions

The Premier League is set to use new rules next season after football’s law-making body has made changes to the use of pitch-side monitors and an explanation of which part of the arm can be penalised as handball.

The International Football Association Board have addressed a number of the controversial aspects of officiating the game, such as the use of the video assistant referee (VAR) and handball and penalty kick decisions.

And referees are likely to spend much more time looking at pitch-side monitors next season thanks to their changes.

The new Laws of the Game appear to have underlyingly criticised the Premier League – who had given the power to make decisions about reviewable incidents to the VAR official – by insisting that the referee undertake an on-field review.

VAR
VAR has endured some teething problems since its inception at the beginning of the current seasons.
No top flight has seemed to struggle with the introduction of the technology as much as the Premier League has.

But it looks like referees are being given more power to make decisions from next season.

Next term refs will be expected to use the pitch-side monitor whenever there is a subjective decision to be made, rather than letting the video assistant ref at Stockley Park make the call.

However, the IFAB decided against allowing fans to listen to conversations between match officials.

Handball

Next season goals after accidental handballs will only be chalked off if they ‘result in a goal or an obvious opportunity for the player and or their team to score a goal. (i.e. following the handball, the ball travels only a short distance and/or there are very few passes).’

“For the purposes of determining handball offences, the ‘arm’ stops at the bottom of the armpit,” the new rules read.

Handball decisions have again been the subject of debate this season.

Penalties

Next season any goalkeeper moving off his line before a penalty is taken will only be punished if the spot-kick is saved.

If the penalty is missed either by hitting the woodwork, or missing the target completely it will not be retaken.

Box encroachment will see the effort retaken, regardless of whether it goes in.

If an attacking player steps foot in the box and the penalty is missed, an indirect free-kick will be awarded the other way.