The document summarizes changes made to the Laws of the Game in 2017. Major changes included simplifying the structure and language of the laws, clarifying equipment requirements, updating rules around substitutions and sending off players, and specifying duties of match officials. Procedures for kicks from the penalty mark were also expanded.

1. 2017 Law Changes

2. 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.”

3. Summary of Law Changes
• 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

4. 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)

5. Summary of Law Changes
• 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

6. 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

7. Summary of Law Changes
• Law 4
– 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

8. 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

9. Summary of Law Changes
• 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Signals

13. Summary of Law Changes
• Law 6 – THE OTHER MATCH
OFFICIALS (Previously The Assistant
Referees)
– More details are given on duties of assistants,
AARs, fourth officials

14. 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.

15. 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

16. Summary of Law Changes
• Law 7
– Competitions are now permitted to have
breaks for medical reasons (drinks in
hot/humid conditions)

17. Summary of Law Changes
• 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

18. Summary of Law Changes
• 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

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

20. 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

21. Summary of Law Changes
• Law 11
– 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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)

25. 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)

26. 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

27. Summary of Law Changes
• Law 13
– 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.”

28. Summary of Law Changes
• Law 14
– 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

29. Summary of Law Changes
• Law 15
– The ball must be thrown in with BOTH hands
not just thrown with one and guided with the
other

30. Summary of Law Changes
• Law 16
– 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.

31. Summary of Law Changes
• Law 17
– If corner kick is kicked into kicker’s own goal,
a corner kick to the opponents is awarded