IFAB is committed to making soccer rules “more attractive”

International Board (IFAB), the institution that establishes the rules governing football throughout the world, met on Monday to study new changes in the regulations for the coming seasons. Two of the changes are very significant and have come to request by letter Ceferín, president of UEFA, Infantino, his FIFA counterpart. This is the criterion for signaling hand and offside. Two concepts that have given much to talk about in recent years and more with the VAR, that all-seeing football Big Brother. From IFAB, they point out that the changes they plan will make football “more attractive and dynamic.”

The arrival of VAR to football has meant that goals that should have been annulled no longer occur and vice versa. But the controversy is in how strict it must be with the offside and the lines that are drawn with the tool. There are times, and as many forwards like Morata or presidents like Ceferín have protested, that they are not awarded almost because “one has a bigger foot than another”, as the Spanish striker protested, or by a few centimeters. Disappearing the concept of being online and leaving space for the purely objective and mathematical that the result of drawing lines with that tool gives you. Faced with those complaints, IFAB plans to adjust the criteria to make football more dynamic and attractive. The way could be to be less strict and give a margin, but the International Board asks for patience since they want to study the change of the norm: “Possible options to explore have been discussed. It was clear that if any concrete proposal had to be considered, it would have to be applicable at all levels of the game and easy for the referees to apply, taking into account the dynamic nature of player movement. Extensive trials will be necessary before proposing a change in the law. “

Another of the issues discussed at the IFAB meeting, in which the technical and football advisers participated, was the criterion of the hands. The arrival of the new law of the hands two seasons ago has caused more penalties to be signaled for said variation. Since almost every hand within the area must be penalized, even if they are involuntary. After many complaints, the experts have also opened up to again bring a change to the regulation and take a step back. “Since the interpretation of incidents by hand has not always been consistent, despite the revised wording in 2019, advisers have supported further clarification “, they point from IFAB. Although they remember that the decision rests with the referee and not everything is hand: “Final judgment rests with the referee and not every touch with the player's hand or arm is an offense. The referees must judge the position of the arm in relation to the movement of the player in that phase of the game. “

IFAB also raised another variation in the standard. It is about giving an extra change due to concussion due to a blow between two soccer players. A matter that they have been dealing with in the last meetings held and that announce “trials that will begin as soon as possible” with said update of the law. In addition, the advisors encourage IFAB to approve the modification at the next annual meeting.