Law Changes for the 2006 Season

FOOTBALL REFEREES SOUTH AUSTRALIA - STATE COACH CIRCULAR # 12

Introduction
In May 2005 the International Football Association Board [IFAB] produced Circular 968 describing Law changes for the new season. They now operate in the Northern Hemisphere and will apply in our local competitions from January 1st 2006. The amendments will be incorporated into the FFA 2006 Law Book.

This Circular summarises the changes for you. See the 2006 Law book for the full wording.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

Law 3: The Number of Players
1. The "Other Matches" paragraph has been rewritten to incorporate:
Up to 6 substitutes may be used in national A team matches;
In all other matches a greater number of substitutes may be used provided that the teams agree on the number and the referee is informed before the match. If this does not occur the maximum number of substitutes allowed is six.

2. The "Infringements/Sanctions" paragraph, bullet point 3, dealing with a substitute entering the field of play without the referee's permission, has been amended. Play is now to be restarted with an indirect free kick at the place where the ball was located when the referee stopped play, not a drop ball. The substitute's illegal action now results in a team sanction.

Law 5: The Referee
In the "Decisions of the Referee" paragraph the words "or terminated the match" have been added to the end of the paragraph.

Law 11: Offside
1. Two Decisions of the IFAB have been added. IFAB Decision 1 defines the phrase 'nearer to his opponents' goal line'. It refers to any part of the head, feet or body, except the arms, as all but the latter are able to be used legally to play the ball.

2. The three definitions dealing with involvement in active play which were published on page 45 of the 2005 Australian edition of the Law Book, are now included in Law 11 as IFAB Decision 2. The wording has not been changed significantly.

3. See below for subsequent FIFA correspondence on the Offside Law.

Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct
1. The "Disciplinary Sanctions" section has an additional sentence to clarify that the referee is authorised to apply disciplinary sanctions [caution/yellow and send off/red cards] from the moment of entry to the field until the referee leaves the field of play after the final whistle.

2. IFAB Decision 4 has been amended. It removes the emphasis on tackles from behind and reflects our current practice that any tackle from the back, side or front, which injures or could have injured the opponent [i.e. which endangers the safety of an opponent] must be sanctioned as serious foul play.

Law 14: The Penalty Kick
The "Infringements/Sanctions" section has been amended so that if, after the referee has given the signal for the penalty kick and before the ball is in play:
a. the player taking the penalty kick infringes the Laws, and the ball does not enter the goal, the referee stops play and restarts the match with an indirect free kick to the defending team.

b. a team-mate of the player taking the penalty kick enters the penalty area or moves in front of or within 9.15 m of the penalty mark, and the ball does not enter the goal, the match is stopped and restarted with an indirect free kick to the defending team.

Law 15: The Throw-In
There is an addition to the "Procedure" section. All opponents must now stand at least two metres from the thrower. The IFAB has introduced this change to prevent the thrower being impeded and to reduce possible confrontation.

Further FIFA Advice - Offside
Following a meeting of an IFAB Working Group FIFA issued Circular 17 to member associations on August 17 2005. FIFA stressed that the wording and the spirit of the Offside Law had not been changed. Their Circular was for 'clarification' and 'advice on the application of Law 11, IFAB Decision 2'.

I am not yet aware whether the following advice will be incorporated into the Law book.

FIFA Circular 17 says, in part:
A player in an offside position may be penalised before playing or touching the ball if, in the opinion of the referee, no other team-mate in an onside position has the opportunity to play the ball.
If an opponent becomes involved in the play and if, in the opinion of the referee, there is potential for physical contact, the player in the offside position shall be penalised for interfering with an opponent.
In addition, the IFAB also agreed on the following clarification with regard to the position where the game restarts following an offside offence (Law 11 - Infringements/Sanctions):
The restart of the game shall be with an indirect free kick taken from the initial place where the player was adjudged to be in an offside position.

Following the release of Circular 17 FFA's National Refereeing Manager, Richard Lorenc, sought advice from FIFA referees Matthew Breeze and Mark Shield who had attended an earlier FIFA Referees' Conference. Richard's Memo advises that the following was made clear to them:
"Once an attacking player goes for the ball from an offside position and draws a defender who is very close by [within a few metres] of the attacker [then it becomes] an interfering with an opponent situation and the AR may flag for offside prior to the attacker actually touching the ball." [August 16 2005]

Bill Tattersall
State Referee Coach
7th November 2005