Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
IN a bid to ensure clubs and players are abreast with the new football regulations that come into effect tomorrow, the Zifa Southern Region board will today hold a seminar in Bulawayo to apprise the clubs on the new rules.
After the seminar, personalised workshops where facilitators will attend clubs’ training sessions and educate players on the new laws will follow, according to the Southern Region’s spokesperson Mehluli Thebe.
“As a board we are always excited about new trends and we want to make sure that our affiliates are not left behind so this workshop will come in handy for them. The new regulations are critical, especially to players and their administrators, because we have noted that a player’s behaviour after a certain decision by a match official has the potential of influencing fans’ behaviour on the terraces,” said Thebe.
“If you check when a referee sanctions a player or makes a decision on whatever would have happened on the field of play and players or coaches make some gestures in protest, the fans also join in, but if a player fully understands and does not remonstrate with the official, supporters remain calm too, so it is important that technical staff and the players fully grasp the new changes, otherwise our matches might be ungovernable,” he said.
The new laws have been described by veteran referees as a huge change on the football landscape.
Some key amendments that will be applied from tomorrow include drop balls, goals being disallowed if the ball last touches a player’s hand, deliberate or otherwise, including the goalkeeper in the event that he is outside the penalty area.
According to some of the new changes, a ball thrown directly into the opponent’s goal by a goalkeeper is no longer a goal but a goal kick.
It will now be an offence for a player to gain possession/ control of the ball after it has touched their hand or arm and then scores in the opponents’ goal, creates a goal scoring opportunity, scores into the opponent’s goal directly from their hand or arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper.
While previously a referee was considered as part of play, beginning tomorrow, the ball is considered a dead ball if it touches a match official and a team starts a promising attack, the ball goes directly into goal or the team in possession of the ball changes. In all the above scenarios, play is restarted with a drop ball.
A player substituted now has to leave the field at the nearest exit point or where the referee deems it fit if the nearest exit point is unsafe.
Online Reporter