Ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, more changes are being made to the rules and the regulations.
Earlier on Friday, FIFA announced that a semi-automatic offside system would be coming into place for the World Cup, which relies on technology to make offside decisions.
That comes in conjunction with a number of rule changes from IFAB, which affects chiefly FIFA competitions but often acts as a precedent for others. The changes were announced on the IFAB website and are in force as of today.
The most significant rule change is that five substitutions will be maintained for the World Cup, with 3 windows in which to make them. Teams will then be allowed an extra change in extra time, but in contrast to UEFA competitions, teams can select from up to 15 substitutes (throughout the match).
Goalkeepers will also be required to keep some part of their anatomy on the goal-line at the point in which a penalty is taken. Additionally, handballs that prevent goals will be sanctioned with an automatic red card.
These changes do not seem outlandish, if a little draconian in terms of the penalty change. Yet perhaps the wisdom of introducing these laws with no practice opportunity before the World Cup could be questioned.
