IFAB: Clarifications of Laws 8 and 11

The 127th Annual General Meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) will take place on Saturday, 2 March 2013, under the chairmanship of The Scottish FA in Edinburgh, Scotland. Amongst the items on the agenda, the IFAB will discuss a clarification to the interpretation of Law 11 – Offside, following proposals developed by FIFA’s Refereeing department and the IFAB technical sub-committee. The technical sub-committee is comprised of the respective Heads of Refereeing and/or technical experts of FIFA and the four British Associations. Other topics for discussion include the usage of electronic performance monitoring systems; the Dropped Ball (Law 8 – Start and Restart of Play) following a submission by the Danish FA; as well as an update report on Goal-Line Technology following the implementation of two systems at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan in December 2012. The IFAB will also discuss its future consultation and decision-making processes, as well as its future structure.

The main proposals and amendments on the agenda:

Law 8 – The Start and Restart of Play
Infringements and sanctions
If the ball enters the goal:
• if a dropped ball is kicked directly (not touched by another player) into the opponents’ goal, a goal kick is awarded
• if a dropped ball is kicked directly (not touched by another player) into the teams’ own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team"

Law 11 – Offside – Interpretation of the Laws of the Game

In the context of Law 11 – Offside, the following definitions apply:

- "interfering with play" means playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a team-mate

- "interfering with an opponent" means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball.

- "gaining an advantage by being in that position" means playing a ball

(i) that rebounds or is deflected to him off the goalpost, crossbar or an opponent having been in an offside position

(ii) that rebounds, is deflected or is played to him from a deliberate save by an opponent having been in an offside position.

A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent, who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save), is not considered to have gained an advantage.

Source: FIFA/IFAB

IFAB approved both GLT and AAR

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) convened on 5 July 2012 at the Home of FIFA in Zurich for a Special Meeting regarding the goal-line technology, additional assistant referees and headscarves.

The first item on the agenda was goal-line technology (GLT). Following the conclusion of a nine-month test process that began in August 2011, led by EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology), the IFAB unanimously decided to approve in principle both companies that took part in Test Phase 2: GoalRef and Hawk-Eye. This approval is subject to a final installation test at each stadium before the systems can be used in “real” football matches, in accordance with the FIFA Quality Programme for GLT. The IFAB was keen to stress that technology will only be utilised for the goal line and for no other areas of the game. Revisions to the wording of specific Laws of the Game will now consequently be made, relating to: Law 1 (The Field of Play); Law 2 (The Ball); Law 5 (The Referee); and Law 10 (The Method of Scoring).
The second decision of the IFAB concerned additional assistant referees (AAR) following a two-year experiment in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and EURO 2012, as well as the AFC President’s Cup and competitions in Brazil, France, Morocco and Qatar. Following a presentation by the AAR Experiment Coordinator, Donald McVicar, the IFAB again unanimously agreed that the use of two additional assistant referees be approved, acknowledging the support they can provide in officiating football matches. As a result of this decision, an amendment will be made to the Laws of the Game, with a separate section concerning additional assistant referees. It was also approved that communication equipment be permitted between match officials in the Laws of the Game.
The third main topic for discussion concerned Law 4 – The Players’ Equipment, and specifically the “headscarf”. The IFAB agreed to unanimously approve – temporarily, during a trial period – the wearing of headscarves. The design, colour and material permitted will be defined and confirmed following the IFAB Annual Business Meeting in Glasgow in October. Currently there is no medical literature concerning injuries as a result of wearing a headscarf, and therefore the decision taken today will be reviewed at the IFAB Annual General Meeting in 2014.
In other matters, the IFAB confirmed that the Annual Business Meeting will further discuss the issue of “triple punishment”, currently detailed in Law 12 (Fouls and Misconduct; Sending-off Offences), and also agreed to discuss further how the IFAB can improve consultation with the game.
The decisions concerning the Laws of the Game taken today regarding GLT and AAR by the IFAB will come into effect immediately.

Source: FIFA

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