2022/23 Laws of the Game

Does anybody else (i.e. their States) implement new Laws at the next calendar year, after the recert season has concluded?




Here in PA West our seasons comprise a fall session (Sep-Nov) and a spring session (Apr-Jun). So in effect our seasons straddle the date we roll out the Laws.

 

When I was an active ref, Michigan always implemented Law changes for the spring season, effectively at least 6 months late. Our recert clinics were held over the winter, so the changes could be explained in a clinic before they were applied on the field. That may still be the case, but I retired 7 years ago so I'm not certain.

 

Indeed.

 

Gotta make sure the referee performs the coin toss.

 

Because you wouldn't want it to look like American football where some person being honored gets to toss the coin.

 

Some refs let the visiting captain toss it. IFAB wants that shitake to stop!

 

Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring
opportunity by a handball offence, the player is sent off wherever the offence
occurs (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area).

Italics added to "clarify" that the keeper can't be sent off in this instance.

Since the offense is handball, and the keeper in the PA by definition can't commit a handball offense, then clarifying that the player sent off for handball can't be the keeper in his PA seems...like IFAB is getting paid by the word...

 

Since this "clarification" in Law 12 specifies the GK can't be penalized for [stuff] in their penalty area, I take it to refer only putting hand to ball in a manner not subject to sanction: to wit, neither a restart infraction nor an unallowable instance of grabbing the ball (throw-in, pass-back).

Since that ball-grabbing action is not sanctionable (but is sanctioned, LOL), I'm still stuck with---it can't be handling. Or handball. Also, even a restart infraction by hand, or an unallowable grab, would still be a non-handling infraction...right? Keeper can only handle outside the PA.

 

I've tried to remember it like this during the heat of a game:

- if the GK commits an offense in the PA by touching with hands/arms that would not be an infraction had (s)he touched it with another body part (foot, head) then no misconduct for the GK handling offense in the PA. ie. pick up teammate's TI, pass-back, handling ball after a save & release into play in the PA.
- if the GK commits an infraction in the PA that would also be an offense had (s)he touched it with another body part (foot, head) then potential misconduct does apply because the infraction is for touching the ball regardless of body part used (not a specific handling offense). ie. second touch after a squibbed goal kick that is also DOGSO.

Does that sound correct?

 

Yes. Essentially they made that clarification a year or two ago, so I have no idea why they thought it was necessary to add this, too. The change overturned prior (conceptually absurdly) guidance that even a second touch offense by the GK with the hand could not be a caution or send off because it was done with the hand.

 

Clarification: The goalkeeper LITERALLY DOING HIS JOB by handling a ball in the PA to stop a goal scoring opportunity is not an offense.

 

I think it was a necessary clarification. We all knew a second touch by itself could be perceivable to happen with a SPA or Dogso situation.

But allowing a loophole that the keeper gets a free pass if they use their hands seems to be something plenty of player and referees would try to shoe horn into reality.

 

You missed my point (from months ago!) entirely—this had already been clarified and that loophole removed.

 

I guess I did. I didn’t remember there ever having been a clarification that closed the loophole until the section under handling is was put in writing.

 

The ball is out of play when:

• it touches a match official, remains on the field of play and:
  
  • a team starts a promising attack or
    
    
  • the ball goes directly into the goal or
    
    
  • the team in possession of the ball changes
    

In all these cases, play is restarted with a dropped ball.

I would add "the referee becomes incapacitated."

U12B Saturday. The keeper is about to clear the ball, pointing to a teammate he was kicking the ball to. I glanced at that player who was near the parents' touchline, and when I looked back toward the keeper, the ball was already headed my way. I was just past the penalty arc. Before I could move, it hit me square in the nose and mouth. I briefly saw stars. I just quickly blew the whistle, stopped one of my watches, and gathered myself. The keeper apologized, an opponent asked, jokingly, if that was an automatic card, and the spectators heckled me. A referee friend said I have to buy the round of beer, and he wasn't even working the game!

Yep, I am not as nimble as I used to be.

 

Typical Spectators.

Your ref buddy only gets paid out with beer if s/he was on the crew. I don't make the rules.

 

I’m guessing the referee in question was only looking for a way to get free beer. Which I believe is always one of the common goals in life.