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Updated August 10th, 2021 at 18:12 IST

Premier League announce rule changes ahead of the new 2021/22 season

Teams can name nine substitutes, however, only 3 substitutions will be allowed. This might benefit clubs like Chelsea who have a large reserve team.

Reported by: Azhar Mohamed
Premier League
Credits: AP | Image:self
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New amendments to the Laws of the Game have been revealed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), including revisions to VAR, handball, and penalty kick rulings. The Premier League will employ new regulations this season after modifications to the use of pitch-side monitors and clarification of which part of the arm can be condemned as handball were made by football's governing body.

IFAB addressed a number of contentious elements of the game's regulating, including the usage of the video assistant referee (VAR), as well as handball and penalty kick rulings along with the number of substitutes.

Rules that will come into affect in the new season

Substitutions

The IFAB has implemented a rule which will allow teams to have nine substitutes in a matchday squad. That's a rise from seven to nine substitutions, which will undoubtedly help the league's top teams, who have bigger squads. This move also gives youngsters the chance to be part of a matchday squad and go a step closer to breaking into the first team.

"Subject to Rule L.28A, in any league match, a club may include in its teamsheet up to nine substitute players of whom not more than three may take part in the league match subject to the conditions set out in Law 3 of the Laws of the Game,” read the statement.

VAR

Referees will be required to use the pitch-side monitor, anytime a subjective judgment has to be made next season, rather than relying on the VAR. However, in a decision that may annoy fans, the IFAB has decided against allowing spectators to hear the talks between referees during a VAR review.

Handball

The arm is specified for handball for the very first time in the Laws of the Game, with authorities previously defining handball as the use of the entire arm. The IFAB has further clarified the rules of attacking handball. Although not modified, a goal-related handball must be one of the following three:

  • Handball followed by a goal
  • Handball, then a pass, and then a goal.
  • A handball falls to a teammate who passes the ball, resulting in a goal.

Penalty Kick

A goalkeeper who moves off his line before a penalty kick is taken will only be penalized if the penalty is stopped by the keeper. The penalty kick will not be retaken if it is missed wide, off the post or bar, or knocked over, regardless of whether or not the goalkeeper moves.

The penalty will be assessed if both sets of players engage in willful encroachment, regardless of the results. If an attacking player encroaches on the penalty area and the penalty kicker misses the target, the defending side will be given an indirect free kick.

Offside

The Premier League will employ broader lines to determine offside decisions next season. The purpose is to reduce instances in which a goal is disallowed because a player's toe is offside. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has decided to introduce thicker lines, although the exact thickness of the lines is yet to be determined.

FIFA has also determined that from now on, just the bottom of a player's armpit would be considered offside, following uncertainty about what portion of a player's body was and wasn't offside.

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Published August 10th, 2021 at 18:12 IST

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