Covers the football's new laws of the game for coaches, players and managers.

1. 2020 Laws of the Game
MDFRA/MFA Club Seminar

2. • Substitutions
• Goal kicks/Free kicks inside the penalty area
• Dropped balls
• Defensive ‘walls’
• Re-wording/Clarification of Handball
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Main Changes

3. • Players leaving the field for a substitution must leave at the nearest
boundary line (unless otherwise directed by the referee).
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Substituted player leaving the field

5. • If an offence occurs in the technical area and the offender cannot be
identified, the senior team official who is in the technical area at the
time of the offence will receive the YC/RC.
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Yellow & Red Card for Team Officials

7. • The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves.
• As a result, the goal kick/free kick can be passed to another
defending player inside the penalty area.
• All attackers must still remain outside the penalty area until the ball
is in play.
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Goal kick & defending team free kick in the penalty area

10. • No longer ‘contested’
• The ball will be dropped to one player of the team last in possession,
or the goalkeeper if the last touch was inside the penalty area
• All other players must remain at least 4 metres away
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Dropped ball

11. • A dropped ball will be awarded if the ball hits a Match Official and a
team:
• Gains possession
• Starts an attack
• Scores a goal
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Dropped ball

13. • A team that wins the coin toss can choose:
• the goal they will attack in the first half; or
• to take the kick-off
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Coin toss

14. • If a player commits a yellow card/red card offence, the non-offending
team may take a quick free kick if:
• they have a clear goal-scoring opportunity; and
• the referee has not started the disciplinary sanction procedure.
• The sanction is administered at the next stoppage; if the offence was
denying the opposing team an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, the
player is cautioned.
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Delaying the restart of play to show a card

15. • If a defensive ‘wall’ has 3 or more players, all opponents must be 1
metre away until the ball is in play.
• An indirect free kick is awarded if the attacking team infringes.
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Defensive ‘walls’

18. • When the ball is kicked, the defending goalkeeper must have at
least one foot touching, or in line with, the goal line.
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The Penalty Kick

20. • Attacking players will be penalised for handball when the ball hits
their hand/arm in attacking positions
• Football does not accept:
• a goal being scored directly from the hand/arm (even if
accidental)
• a player gaining possession/control of the ball from their
hand/arm (even if accidental) and then scoring or
creating a goal-scoring opportunity
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Handball – Attacking Players

21. HANDBALL OFFENCE

22. HANDBALL OFFENCE

23. • The concept of ‘natural’ position of the arm (very difficult to interpret) has
been removed.
• The focus now is more factual - whether the position of the hand/arm
has ‘made the body unnaturally bigger’ i.e. has the hand/arm had the
effect of creating a bigger barrier’ for the ball/opponent (outside the
normal ‘playing silhouette’)?
• Players must understand that they ‘take a risk’ of being penalised when
their hand/arm is in certain positions.
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Handball

24. Law 12 – FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
• It is usually an offence if a player touches the ball with their
hand/arm when:
• the hand/arm has made their body unnaturally bigger
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Definition of Handball Offences

25. HANDBALL OFFENCE

26. HANDBALL OFFENCE

27. Law 12 – FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
• It is usually an offence if a player touches the ball with their
hand/arm when:
• the hand/arm has made their body unnaturally bigger
• the hand/arm is above/beyond their shoulder level
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Definition of Handball Offences

28. HANDBALL OFFENCE

29. HANDBALL OFFENCE

30. Law 12 – FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
• It is usually an offence if a player touches the ball with their
hand/arm when:
• the hand/arm has made their body unnaturally bigger
• the hand/arm is above/beyond their shoulder level (unless the
player deliberately plays the ball which then touches their
hand/arm)
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Definition of Handball Offences

31. PLAY ON – NO OFFENCE

32. PLAY ON – NO OFFENCE

33. PLAY ON – NO OFFENCE

34. Law 12 – FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
• It is usually an offence if a player touches the ball with their
hand/arm when:
• the hand/arm has made their body unnaturally bigger
• the hand/arm is above/beyond their shoulder level (unless the
player deliberately plays the ball which then touches their
hand/arm)
• The above offences apply even if the ball touches a player’s
hand/arm directly from the head or body (including the foot) of
another player who is close
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Definition of Handball Offences

35. Law 12 – FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
• Except for the above offences, it is not usually an offence if the ball
touches a player’s hand/arm:
• directly from the player’s own head or body (including the foot)
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Definition of Handball Offences

36. PLAY ON – NO OFFENCE

37. Law 12 – FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
• Except for the above offences, it is not usually an offence if the ball
touches a player’s hand/arm:
• directly from the player’s own head or body (including the foot)
• directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another
player who is close
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Definition of Handball Offences

38. PLAY ON – NO OFFENCE

39. Law 12 – FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
• Except for the above offences, it is not usually an offence if the ball
touches a player’s hand/arm:
• directly from the player’s own head or body (including the foot)
• directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another
player who is close
• if the hand/arm is close to the body and does not make the body
unnaturally bigger
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Definition of Handball Offences

40. PLAY ON – NO OFFENCE

41. PLAY ON – NO OFFENCE

42. Law 12 – FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
• Except for the above offences, it is not usually an offence if the ball
touches a player’s hand/arm:
• directly from the player’s own head or body (including the foot)
• directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another
player who is close
• if the hand/arm is close to the body and does not make the body
unnaturally bigger
• when a player is falling and the hand/arm is between the body
and the ground to support the body but not extended laterally or
vertically away from the body
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Definition of Handball Offences

43. HANDBALL OFFENCE

44. • An indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty
area…:
…
• touches the ball with the hand/arm, unless the goalkeeper has
clearly kicked or attempted to kick the ball to release it into
play, after:
• it has been deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team-mate
• receiving it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate
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Offences by the goalkeeper

45. PLAY ON – NO OFFENCE

46. PLAY ON – NO OFFENCE

47. Questions?
Presentation References
FIFA Referee development program resources (various)
IFAB 2020 Laws of the Game Changes presentation
FFA 2019/2020 Laws of the Game
Football NSW 2020 Laws of the Game Changes presentation
MDFRA Referee development & training program resources (various)