Premier League 2020/21 season set for September 12th kick-off, Let’s visit the key rule changes for the new campaign.
During August 6th Premier League’s Annual General Meeting, League Shareholders agreed to rules relating to Video Assistant Referees (VAR) and substitute players for the 2020/21 season.
Shareholders unanimously approved the implementation of VAR, in line with the full FIFA VAR protocol.Clubs also agreed to revert back to using up to three substitute players per match, with a maximum of seven substitutes on the bench.
VAR changes for 2020/21 season
The 2019/20 season was the first campaign where the technology was utilized in the Premier League, with varying degrees of success.The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system is here to stay for at-least 2020/21 season.
In July 2020, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) transferred the responsibility of VAR to FIFA. IFAB will continue to work closely with FIFA, especially in terms of the VAR protocol, related Laws and qualification requirements.
There are five key areas that highlight the differences in implementation of VAR in 2020/21 as per official premier league press release:
- Referee Review Area (RRA): Next season, referees will be encouraged to use the VAR screens at the side of the pitch more regularly. Officially referred to as the Referee Review Area (RRA), the monitors will be employed for subjective decisions surrounding goals, red cards and penalties.
- Goalkeeper encroachment on penalty kicks: The protocol does not allow for tolerance levels, so if the goalkeeper saves a penalty and his foot is over the line then VAR will advise it is retaken. If the goalkeeper is off his line and the ball hits the post or goes over, it won’t be retaken unless the ‘keeper has a material impact on the kick being missed
- Player encroachment on penalty kicks: It is now judged on any part of a player’s body that is on the ground when the kick is taken. So if any part of the foot is on the penalty area or arc line it is encroachment. The player must still have a material impact on the outcome of the kick
- Offsides: The protocol does not allow for tolerance levels.That means there will be no real change to how offsides are judged and any ball-playing part of the body which is past the line of the last defender will be deemed offside, including a shoulder or a small portion of the foot.
- Keeping the flag down for tight marginal offside offences: When an immediate goal scoring opportunity is likely to occur, the assistant referee will keep their flag down until the passage of play is completed. Once the goal scoring opportunity is complete, either a goal is scored or the chance is gone, the assistant will then raise the flag to indicate the initial offence. If a goal is scored the VAR will then review the offside judgement
Substitution and Drinks Break
The Premier League also confirmed earlier in August that the top flight will revert back to the use of a maximum of three substitutes per game, with a maximum of seven being named on the bench. Drinks breaks will also not be included next season, apart from in exceptionally warm weather.
Handball rules
The handball rule has also been altered for 2020/21 with the FA confirming that accidental handball by an attacking team will only result in a foul if it occurs immediately before a goal or clear goal-scoring chance.
The area of the arm considered to be penalised by the handball rule has been more clearly defined. The shoulder area is deemed not to be handball, but any part of the arm below the shoulder can result in a handball decision.
