The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has unveiled a series of significant rule changes poised to revolutionize football.
A major innovation is the implementation of referee body cameras.
These cameras will offer fans a live, first-person view from the referee’s vantage point, aiming to increase transparency and provide greater insight into officiating decisions made during a match.
Goalkeepers will now be restricted to holding the ball for a maximum of eight seconds.
Exceeding this limit will result in a corner kick being awarded to the opposing team, replacing the current penalty of an indirect free kick.
This move aims to discourage time-wasting and encourage continuous play.
Persecondnews reports that the new rules also clarify ball drop restarts, stating that if one team had clear possession when play was stopped and the ball was outside the penalty area, they will retain possession when play resumes.
If possession was unclear, the ball will be awarded to the team that last touched it before the stoppage.
In a bid to reduce over-penalization for harmless, accidental incidents, the IFAB has introduced a rule that eliminates disciplinary action for accidental interference.
If a coach, substitute, or dismissed player accidentally touches the ball outside the field of play, the restart will simply be an indirect free kick to the opposition.
Competitions will have the option of allowing referees to verbally explain VAR decisions to the crowd, similar to the practice in the National Football League (NFL).
This move aims to improve transparency and provide fans with a deeper understanding of the decision-making process.
Assistant referees will now position themselves in line with the penalty spot, rather than the goal line, when evaluating close offside calls and goal-line decisions.
This change is intended to improve alignment with Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology and enhance overall decision-making accuracy.
If a penalty taker accidentally touches the ball with both feet before scoring, the penalty will be retaken rather than the goal being disallowed.
This change follows controversy in matches where goals were disallowed due to similar incidents.
The new rules will be unveiled at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, where they will be implemented for the first time in competitive play.
The global football community will be watching closely to see how these innovations shape the game.
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