Law Updates

There are a few updates to the laws for 2024/2025.  As a reminder, you can see the laws at theifab.com. To see updates for this season (or last season), go to Law Changes (at theifab.com) in the left column menu. New text is underlined.

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Law 3. The Players​

Each team must have a captain who wears an identifying armband

Region 1112 will not be following this change. In our AYSO program, the behavior of the team should be the responsibility of the coach.  Teams may have captains such as for the calling of the coin toss.  These captains may have armbands.  The coaches use these armbands for team building, promoting good sportsmanship and team play.

• The new law states that each team must have a captain who has a degree of responsibility for the behavior of the team, and specifies the design of the armband.

Law 4. The Player's Equipment

• Shin guards are now to be "an appropriate size" and "Players are responsible for the size and suitability of their shin guards"

• Armbands are defined.

Law 12. Fouls and Misconduct

Clarification that non-deliberate handball offences for which penalties are awarded are to be sanctioned in the same way as fouls which are an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball

• Cautions for unsporting behavior

  • There are different circumstances when a player must be cautioned for unsporting behavior including if a player:​

    • handles the ball to interfere with or stop a promising attack, except where the referee awards a penalty kick for a non-deliberate handball offence​

    • denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick for a non-deliberate handball offence

• Sending-off offences

  • A player, substitute or substituted player who commits any of the following offences is sent off:​

    • denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a deliberate handball offence (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area)​

    • denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a non-deliberate handball offence outside their own penalty area

• Denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO)

  • Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a deliberate handball offence, the player is sent off wherever the offence occurs (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area).

  • Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a non-deliberate handball offence and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned.

• Explanation​

  • Non-deliberate handball offences are usually the result of a player attempting to play fairly, so when a penalty kick is awarded for such offences, the same philosophy should apply as for offences (fouls) which are an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball, i.e. DOGSO offences result in a yellow card and SPA (Stopping a Promising Attack) offences result in no card. Deliberate handball remains a red-card offence when a penalty kick is awarded, as it is similar to holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.​

​Law 14. The Penalty Kick

Clarification that part of the ball must touch or overhang the center of the penalty mark

Encroachment by players will be penalized only if it has an impact (same philosophy as goalkeeper encroachment)

• The ball must be stationary, on with part of the ball touching or overhanging the center of the penalty mark, and the goalposts, crossbar and goal net must not be moving.

• Explanation

  • ​Clarification regarding the ball position for a penalty kick, as there can be disputes and/or delays, especially when the penalty mark is not a ‘spot’. Part of the ball must touch or overhang the center of the penalty mark (just as the ball must be inside the corner area, including overhanging the corner arc, at a corner kick). As with other positional matters, if ground conditions dictate a slight change, this is a decision for the referee.

• If, before the ball is in play, one of the following occurs:

  • a team-mate of the player taking the penalty kick is penalized for encroachment only if:

    • the encroachment clearly impacted on the goalkeeper; or

    • the encroaching player plays the ball or challenges an opponent for the ball and then scores, attempts to score or creates a goal-scoring opportunity

  • a team-mate of the goalkeeper is penalized for encroachment only if:

    • the encroachment clearly impacted on the kicker; or

    • the encroaching player plays the ball or challenges an opponent for the ball and this prevents the opponents from scoring, attempting to score or creating a goal-scoring opportunity

• Explanation

  • Player encroachment can be difficult to detect and manage, especially at the lower levels of the game, where there may be no neutral assistant referees. However, it can easily be identified by the video assistant referee, and if Law 14 were to be applied strictly, most penalty kicks would be retaken. Since encroachment rarely affects the outcome of the kick (only if the ball rebounds into play), the same principle should apply to player encroachment as to goalkeeper encroachment, i.e. it is penalized only if it has an impact.​

• Outcome of Penalty Kick

  • Encroachment by ​attacking player

    • If Goal​

      • Impact: penalty is retaken​

      • No impact: goal

    • No goal​

      • Impact: indirect free kick​

      • No impact: no retake

  • Encroachment by defending player

    • if Goal​

      • Impact: goal​

      • No impact: goal

    • No goal​

      • Impact: penalty is retaken​

      • No impact: no retake

  • Encroachment by defending and attacking player​

    • If Goal​

      • Impact: penalty is retaken​

      • No impact: goal

    • No goal​

      • Impact: penalty is retaken​

      • No Impact: no retake

  • Explanation​

    • Player encroachment can be difficult to detect and manage, especially at the lower levels of the game, where there may be no neutral assistant referees. Since encroachment rarely affects the outcome of the kick (only if the ball rebounds into play), the same principle should apply to player encroachment as to goalkeeper encroachment, i.e. it is penalized only if it has an impact.​

As always, if you have any questions about any of the law changes, feel free to reach out to us at refereetraining@ayso-cr.org for further clarification.

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Referee Kits

Please email me at refereeadmin@ayso-cr.org if you have not received a ref kit or if you are in need of any supplies.

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Mentors

If you would like to have a mentor for a match or if you would like to volunteer to assist as a mentor, please reach out to Mark Holt at refereementor@ayso-cr.org; he will get you set up with all your mentoring needs!

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Incentives - Help Needed

I am looking for some additional help with handling referee incentives. The referee incentive program is a program I have been trying to get off the ground but just haven't had the time to do. If you would be interested in helping out with this, please contact me at refereeadmin@ayso-cr.org

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Thank YOU

As always, thank you for volunteering your time out on the pitch! This program could not exist without all of you. If there is ever anything I can do to help make your lives as referees easier, please do not hesitate to reach out to me! Thank you for all that you do!

Regards,
David Hagen
Referee Administrator
Region 1112

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