Law 3
• A player who is being substituted must leave the field at the nearest point on the boundary line, unless otherwise directed by the referee
Law 4
• Undershirts can be multi-coloured/patterned if exactly the same as the sleeve of the main shirt
Law 5
• Referee cannot change a restart decision after play has restarted but, in certain circumstances, may issue a YC/RC for a previous incident
• If the referee leaves the field for a VAR review or to call players back to the field at the end of a half, a decision can still be changed
• Team officials guilty of misconduct can be shown a YC/RC; if an offender cannot be identified, the senior coach in the technical area receives the YC/RC
• If a penalty kick is awarded, the team’s penalty taker can receive assessment or treatment and then stay on the field and take the kick
Law 7
• Clarification of the difference between ‘cooling’ and ‘drinks’ breaks Law 8
• The team that wins the toss may choose to take the kick-off
• Dropped ball – ball dropped for goalkeeper (if play stopped in penalty area) or for one player of team that last touched the ball at the location of the last touch; all other players (of both teams) must be at least 4m (4.5 yds) away
Law 9
• Dropped ball if the ball touches the referee (or other match official) and goes into the goal, possession changes or an attacking move starts
Law 10
• Goalkeeper cannot score by throwing the ball into the opponents’ goal
Law 12
• Handball text re-written for greater clarity/consistency with clear guidelines for when ‘non-deliberate’ handball should (and should not) be penalised
• Confirmation that an ‘illegal’ handball offence by a goalkeeper in their own penalty area is not sanctioned with a YC/RC
• If, after a throw-in or deliberate pass from a team-mate, the goalkeeper unsuccessfully kicks or tries to kick the ball to release it into play, the goalkeeper can then handle the ball
• Referee can delay issuing a YC/RC until the next stoppage if the non-offending team takes a quick free kick and creates a goal-scoring opportunity
• The YC for an ‘illegal’ goal celebration remains even if the goal is disallowed
• List of the warning/YC/RC offences for team officials
• All verbal offences are punished with an IDFK
• Kicking an object is punished in the same way as throwing an object
Law 13
• Once an IDFK has been taken, the referee can stop showing the IDFK signal if it is clear that goal cannot be scored directly (e.g. from most offside IDFKs)
• For defending team free kicks in their penalty area, the ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves; it does not have to leave the penalty area
• When there is a defensive ‘wall’ of at least 3 players, all attacking team players must be at least 1m from the ‘wall’; IDFK if they encroach
Law 14
• Goalposts, crossbar and nets must not be moving when a penalty is taken and the goalkeeper must not be touching them
• Goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot on, or in line with, the goal line when a penalty kick is taken; cannot stand behind the line
• If an offence occurs after the referee signals for a penalty kick to be taken but the kick is not taken, it must then be taken after any YC/RC is issued
Law 15
• Opponents must be at least 2m from the point on the touchline where a throw-in is to be taken, even if the thrower is back from the line
Law 16
• At goal kicks, the ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves; it does not have to leave the penalty area
Source: IFAB
