Rule changes I hadn't picked up on
The first we saw today when PCH was flagged offside.
Offside inconsistency
“Part of the law book says when players commit an offside offence you give a free-kick where the offence occurred. The other part of the law book says you give a free-kick where the player was when he was in the offside position. So a player can actually move 20 yards from being in an offside position … and it is only the moment he plays the ball that he is penalised. The law tells you to give the free-kick in two different places.
“So, in future, the free-kick will always be given where he commits the offside offence, even if he is in his own half, because you cannot be in an offside position in your own half, but you can go back into your own half to commit an offside offence.”
Players don't always have to go off if treated by physio:
Players will be able to receive treatment quickly on the pitch if they are injured in a challenge that results in a yellow or red card
If a player is fouled and hurt by an opponent who subsequently receives a yellow or red card for the challenge, the injured player may be quickly treated on the pitch without the need to leave the field of play.
It was widely seen as unfair that a player injured by a serious foul was forced off the pitch for treatment, temporarily placing the fouled team at a numerical disadvantage.
Comments
Have to say that I was unaware of the first one. Paris needs to be more aware of this in the future......
So does Gareth, he was waving his arms with incredulity at that decision, as I hasten to add, was I!
Still not sure I understand the subtlety about the free kick for offside.
"...because you cannot be in an offside position in your own half, but you can go back into your own half to commit an offside offence.”
The second part seems to contradict the first.
He commits the offside offence when he gets the ball. If he didn't get the ball he wouldn't be offside. But agree it's not very clear.
@tom_doust For example...
As Blackman launches a long kick forward, Cowan-Hall is in the opposition half in an offside position.
Cowan-Hall runs back into his own half to meet the dropping ball, touches it and is given offside.
Under the new rules the free kick is taken from where he touched the ball (ie his own half)
I think
So, if I'm reading this right, Blackmans long kick downfield could see Paris offside just in the opposition half and he could chase the ball down to the corner flag, touch it there and the free kick would be in the corner rather than where he was when the ball was kicked.
Is this correct?
@Right_in_the_Middle that's how I'm interpreting the new rule. Sounds utter dog squeeze to me. Similarly then, if Paris is just offside in the opposition half but he chases the ball down into the penalty area, should the defending team take the free kick from there? Why do the rule makers have to keep bloody meddling!
@Right_in_the_Middle I don't know.
I guess it depends on how they define exactly when he "became active".
If he's running back towards his own goal, I imagine he only becomes active when he touches it.
But when a player is running towards the opposition goal, they tend to flag a lot sooner.
We need a ref to explain this.
Oh OK, yeah I get it now. Seems un-necessarily complicated though. The ref on Saturday seemed to have problems with the rules about handling the ball and passing back to the goalkeeper. Seems a bit unfair to add further challenges.