New Rules (Maybe One for the Refs On Here)

[Future17]

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.

[dangermouse]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

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.

I thought that has always been the case

[Future17]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I thought that has always been the case

Maybe my poor wording. Your correct that the free-kick is always awarded where the offence is committed, but I think the rules are now supposed to clarify that the offence is committed where the player interferes with play if you like. So there will be times when the offside offence is committed in your own half, which I've never seen given before.

[Geo_1875]

Is it now the case that deliberate handball is not automatically a yellow card offence?

I'm sure I heard that mentioned during the Euros.

[Onceinawhile]

The offside free kick is supposed to take place where the player touches the ball rather than where he's offside, is, I think the point you're trying to make?

[Scouse Hibee]

Another change I noticed last night was that being on a yellow card means you can commit far more blatant fouls than you can without one.

[overdrive]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Is it now the case that deliberate handball is not automatically a yellow card offence?

I'm sure I heard that mentioned during the Euros.

I think this has been the case for sometime (see the incident last season when the Dundee United player took the huff and picked up the ball and walked off the pitch).