IFAB proposing 8 changes to Laws of the Game

IFAB, which decides on new laws and changes to them and recommends them to FIFA, has just issued this press release. It's worth reading.

"The 126^th Annual General Meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) will take place on Saturday 3 March under the chairmanship of The Football Association in Surrey, England.

On the agenda this year are eight proposals and amendments to the Laws of the Game. These include a proposal for a fourth substitution to be allowed for matches that go into extra time; a new text to clarify what action the referee should take if a dropped ball is kicked directly into an opponents’ goal; and a new text to tackle the ‘so-called’ Triple Punishment, following the recommendation by the FIFA Task Force Football 2014.

Currently a penalty-kick, expulsion, and player suspension are the three sanctions for a player who denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by an offence punishable, according to Law 12, in the penalty area.

Also on the agenda for discussion is an update on the Goal-Line Technology (GLT) testing. The independent test institute EMPA will provide a report on the first test phase held between November and December 2011 with eight GLT companies, as well as outlining the procedures for Phase 2 scheduled between March and June 2012.

An update on the Additional Assistant Referee experiment (AAR), a discussion regarding the Hijab following a football seminar in Amman in October 2011, and more information regarding the use of Vanishing Spray by referees at the CONMEBOL 2011 Copa America - to mark out the 9.15m (10 yards) where defending teams have to stand for a free-kick – are also on the agenda, amongst other topics.

Finally, the members will be asked to confirm the date of the Special Meeting of the IFAB as 2 July 2012, where a definitive decision on the future of Goal-Line Technology and Additional Assistant Referees will be taken".