Future17
15-07-2016, 12:02 PM
I know this isn't the first thread about the new rules which have been introduced this season and I'm sure it won't be the last. I expect the penalty/free-kick/last man/goalscoring opportunity/yellow card/red card change will be very controversial and I doubt it will ever be fully understood and agreed upon by refs, pundits, players, managers and fans.
However, one of the other changes caught my eye last night as it wasn't being used by the ref. If I've understood the new rules correctly, when a player is "offside", the free kick is now to be awarded where the offence is committed, which is not necessarily where he was initially standing in relation to the second last opposition player. Last night, Hibs were twice penalised for players coming back from an offside position to play the ball elsewhere on the park. For example, Holt was flagged about 10 yards in the Brondby half from a Virtanen long ball, but the offence wasn't actually committed until he got involved with play by going for the header. The free kick should have been awarded where he headed the ball (which was inside the Hibs half) rather than in the opposition half where it was eventually taken.
I know this is a geek post but it struck me as another (less important) example of the ref's incompetence.
However, one of the other changes caught my eye last night as it wasn't being used by the ref. If I've understood the new rules correctly, when a player is "offside", the free kick is now to be awarded where the offence is committed, which is not necessarily where he was initially standing in relation to the second last opposition player. Last night, Hibs were twice penalised for players coming back from an offside position to play the ball elsewhere on the park. For example, Holt was flagged about 10 yards in the Brondby half from a Virtanen long ball, but the offence wasn't actually committed until he got involved with play by going for the header. The free kick should have been awarded where he headed the ball (which was inside the Hibs half) rather than in the opposition half where it was eventually taken.
I know this is a geek post but it struck me as another (less important) example of the ref's incompetence.