2017 recertification law changes for coaches

2017 Law Changes

Summary of Law Changes

“...the aim of the revision is to make the Laws of the Game more accessible and more easily understood by everyone in football and increase consistency of understanding, interpretation and application.”


• The revision focused on making the Laws appropriate for the modern game at all levels. The major areas of change:

• More simplified structure • Updated titles • Updated language• Updated content

Summary of Law Changes• Law 1

– Artificial & natural surfaces cannot be combined

– Competitions may determine field size– Commercial advertising on the ground must

be 1 yard from boundary lines– Competition logos are allowed on corner flags

(no advertising)


• Law 3– May not start/continue with fewer than 7 players– Substitute can take any restart but must step on

field (includes a penalty kick)– Players can be sent off but not cautioned before

kick-off

Summary – Law 3 (cont.)– If substitute, substituted player, team official,

or player sent off enters the field & interferes with play or an opponent, result is a DFK or PK

– If outside influence interferes with a ball going into goal, award a goal if no defenders are affected and ball goes into goal

– If goal is scored with an extra person--• Referee has restarted; goal stands and match

continues with appropriate reporting


– Any material/covering socks must be same color as part of sock it covers (material as well as tape)

– If shoe or shinguard comes off, player can continue to play until next stoppage

– Undershorts must be same color as main color of shorts or hem; team must all be the same

Summary – Law 4 (cont.)– Electronic communication with substitutes,

players, team officials forbidden– Player with equipment correction may return

during play after correction of equipment and check by referee, fourth official or AR and upon referee signal


• Law 5– No decision can be changed if play restarted

or referee has left field at the end of a half– Most serious offense is punished and is

dependent on sanction, restart, physical severity, and tactical impact

Summary – Law 5– Player may be sent off from the time referee

enters the field of play; any other offences will be reported after the match

– Referee only uses red/yellow card after entering field at start of match

– If player injured by foul followed by red/yellow card, player can be quickly assessed and not have to leave field of play

Summary – Law 5– Referee equipment now listed:

• Compulsory equipment:– Whistle(s)– Watch(es)– Red and yellow cards– Notebook (or other means of keeping a record of the match)

• Other equipment -- Referees may be permitted to use:– Equipment for communicating with other match officials – buzzer/beep

flags, headsets etc.– EPTS or other fitness monitoring equipment

– NOTE: Referees and other match officials are prohibited from wearing jewelry or any other electronic equipment

– Referee signals have been included

Signals


• Law 6 – THE OTHER MATCH OFFICIALS (Previously The Assistant Referees)– More details are given on duties of assistants,

AARs, fourth officials

Summary – Law 6

• NEW Text: – The match officials assist the referee with inspecting the field of

play, the balls and players’ equipment (including if problems have been resolved) and maintaining records of time, goals, misconduct etc.

– Competition rules must state clearly who replaces a match official who is unable to start or continue and any associated changes. In particular, it must be clear whether, if the referee is unable to continue, the fourth official or the senior assistant referee or senior additional assistant referee takes over.

Summary Law 6 – 4th Official• The fourth official’s assistance also

includes:– supervising the substitution procedure– checking a player’s/substitute’s equipment– the re-entry of a player following a signal/approval from the

referee– supervising the replacement balls– indicating the minimum amount of additional time the referee

intends to play at the end of each half (including extra time)– informing the referee of irresponsible behavior by any technical

area occupant


• Law 7– Competitions are now permitted to have

breaks for medical reasons (drinks in hot/humid conditions)


• Law 8 (Start and Restart of Play)– All restarts are now included (previously only

kick-off and dropped ball)– Ball must clearly move to be in play for all

kicked restarts– Ball can be in any direction at kick-off– Referee has no authority to effect outcome of

dropped ball


• Law 9– If the ball hits any match official, play

continues unless the ball went out of play• This clarifies that there are officials off the field of

play that could influence the flight of the ball and a determination needs to be made if the ball was wholly over the line if it hits one of those officials


• Law 10 – DETERMING THE OUTCOME OF A MATCH (Previously The Method of Scoring)– Kicks from the Penalty Mark

Summary Law 10– Toss a coin to choose the goal– Toss a coin a second time to determine who takes first kick– Player temporarily off field at final whistle can take part– No need to give line up– If one team loses a player during kicks, other team reduces a

player– Kick is completed when ball stops moving, goes out of play or

there is an infringement– If player leaves the field, no delay and if kicker is not back may

forfeit attempt


– Halfway line is neutral; must be in the opponent’s half– Players’ arms and hands are not considered– Offside free-kicks will be taken from where the player

commits the offside offence – can be in their own half– A defender who goes over the goal line and stays off

is considered to be on the goal line for purposes of judging offside until play stops or defender’s team plays the ball towards the half-way line and out of the penalty area

Summary Law 11– An attacking player may step or stay off the

field of play not to be involved in active play; if the player re-enters from the goal line and becomes involved in play before the next stoppage in play, or the defending team has played the ball towards the halfway line and it is outside their penalty area, the player shall be considered to be positioned on the goal line for the purposes of offside

Summary of Laws Changes• Law 12

– If foul involves contact with the opponent, it is a DFK

– If player commits send off or second caution offense and the referee invokes advantage, that player cannot become involved in play; red card will be shown at next stoppage

– If player becomes involved, stop play, send off and award IFK

Summary Law 12– Not all handling offences receive a caution;

should depend on effect/outcome such as stopping an attack

– Attempted violent conduct is a send off, even if no contact made

– A player who deliberately strikes an opponent on the head or face (when not challenging for the ball) will be sent off (unless very minimal)

Summary Law 12– Offences against substitutes, team official,

match officials, etc., are now direct free kick or possible penalty kick

– A foul off the field of play is penalized with a free kick on the boundary line nearest to where the foul occurred (penalty kick if this is in offender’s own penalty area)

Summary Law 12– If player commits DOGSO offence inside

penalty area, it will now be a caution if the foul was an attempt to play the ball or challenge an opponent for the ball; the following offences will still be send off:• Handling• Holding, pulling, pushing• Not playing the ball• Not having a chance to play the ball• Serious foul challenges, violent conduct


– Difference between “stopping” a free kick and “intercepting” the ball after a free kick is taken

“If, when a free kick is taken, an opponent is closer to the ball than the required distance, the kick is retaken unless the advantage can be applied; but if a player takes a free kick quickly and an opponent who is less than 10 yards from the ball intercepts it, the referee allows play to continue. However, an opponent who deliberately prevents a free kick being taken quickly must be cautioned for delaying the restart of play.”


– If the goalkeeper moves early and cause the PK to be retaken, the goalkeeper receives a caution

– If ball is kicked backward, restart is an IFK– If kicker stops and feints, restart is always an

IFK and caution


• Law 15– The ball must be thrown in with BOTH hands

not just thrown with one and guided with the other


– If goal kick is kicked into own goal, restart is a corner kick for the opponents

– An opponent in the penalty area when goal kick is taken cannot touch the ball until another player has touched it. Goal kick will be retaken.


• Law 17– If corner kick is kicked into kicker’s own goal,

a corner kick to the opponents is awarded

2017 recertification law changes for coaches

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