All you need to know about the major changes to the laws of football as laid down by the The International Football Association Board after it's recent consultations.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has made 96 changes to the laws of the game after an 18 month consultation period, here we take a look at the major amendments.

1. The ball no longer has to move forward at kick offs, perhaps a minor change but saves time i suppose.

2. Pre Match Red Cards, this allows refs to send players off before the game ie if there was a fracas in the tunnel, or in the warm up.

3. End to triple punishment law, this meant a player who denied a goal-scoring opportunity in the box was automatically red-carded and handed a suspension, as well as giving away a penalty.

The law has now been changed so players committing accidental fouls that deny goal-scoring opportunities in the penalty area will not be automatically sent off, with a yellow card sufficient punishment.

This means keepers can go for the ball and should cut out players throwing themselves to the ground so much trying to get the keeper sent off.

4. Treating Injuries, under the new law if the offender is red or yellow carded the injured player may receive quick treatment on the pitch without needing to leave it and cause his team to be a man down.

5. Changing Boots/Equipment, previously a player had to have the refs permission to return to the pitch after changing an article of equipment, ow the task of checking the gear and sending the player back on is in the hands of the 4th official.

6. Penalties, a player feinting, ie stopping his run up to confuse the keeper will still be allowed, but if the penalty taker does it immediately before striking the ball, he will be yellow carded and an indirect free kick awarded to the opposition.

7. Infringements by official & substitutes, this is perhaps for the more serious offences as when Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone was sent to the stands in April after a member of his backroom team threw a ball onto the pitch during a La Liga game in an attempt to interrupt an opponent's attack.

Now this type of offence will be punishable by a penalty, it is aimed at serious infringements that affect the game at a vital stage, not the handbags at dawn pushing and shoving in the technical area.

8. Colour Of Undergarments, this is a puzzler, currently they must be the same colour as the shirts and shorts, this remains unchanged apart from now with regard to the shorts they must be the same colour as the hem, ridiculous !!!!!

9. Offside, minor change, the half way line is neutral, this means that part of a player must be over this line.

10. Handball, no longer an automatic yellow card wherever the offence, now the law states, Handball is now a yellow card offence when "it stops/interferes with a promising attack".

11. Player Behaviour, this is being clamped down on, running to contest decisions, arguing face-to-face with officials, and "visibly disrespectful" actions will result in yellow cards.

In truth this is much needed, but it is stuff the referees should have been clamping down on themselves, now they are getting backing from on high to do so, refs will still need to have a blind eye and ear every now and then, but it means that they can issue yellow cards to all offenders, my view is that for a few weeks the card cound will be high then players will get the message.

There you have it the major changes to the rules, I wonder how muc time and money has been spent in drawing these up, when in truth although needed, a couple of football fans down the pub could have done this for the price of a few pints.

Photo: Action Images

SanMarco added 08:30 - Jul 28 It will be fun the first time a penalty is awarded under number 7. "Serious infringements" better be very well defined...
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