The boys in blue in Football’s law-making hierachy have made three big changes to the rules for next season’s Premier League with one of them involving the use of VAR pitchside monitors.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) regularly convene with the main agenda being to discuss controversial rulings in the game and to decide whether they need to be changed.
Now that the majority of the first season of VAR is complete in the Premier League, the decision has been made that a number of rule changes will be made ahead of next season.
The first involves the increased use of VAR pitchside monitors, which is likely to see referees spending far more time looking at their screens by the side of the pitch.
To elucidate further, IFAB said in a statement: “Where a reviewable incident is subjective, the expectation is that the referee will undertake an ‘on-field review’.
“It was furthermore agreed that more insight into the decision-making process, for example access to the conversation between match officials during a review, would not be appropriate at this point, but that more effort should be made to enhance existing communication approaches to improve understanding of the review process and the referee’s final decision.”
The second rule change regards the issue of handballs inside the penalty area, and IFAB have issued a clarification on controversial ‘accidental’ handball decisions.
It has been decided that penalties should only be given if the accidental handball ‘immediately’ results in a goal, i.e. ‘following the handball, the ball travels only a short distance and/or there are very few passes’.
IFAB added: “For the purposes of determining handball offences, the ‘arm’ stops at the bottom of the armpit.”
The third and final rule change is with regards to goalkeepers coming off their line when a penalty kick is taken.
The new rule applies from next season onwards that a goalkeeper encroaching will result in the retaking of a penalty only if the initial kick is saved. Therefore, penalties which miss the target completely will not be retaken, even if the keeper comes off his line.
In the case of players encroaching into the box will result in the penalty being retaken, regardless of the outcome of the spot-kick.
Well, at least something’s definitely evolving despite the hindrance and turbulence caused by the pandemic.