2023-11-28T19:02:51+00:00
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/ The International Football Association Board supported a series of measures aimed at improving players’ behavior and increasing respect for match referees during the annual meeting, Tuesday.
The Council supported the proposal to conduct an experiment under which only the team captain has the right to approach the referee in some match situations, and it was also agreed to experiment with the proposal of temporary expulsion due to protest or specific tactical violations.
Temporary expulsions have been successfully implemented in some non-professional football competitions.
A provisional expulsion from rugby union was used in 2001, and there has also been a long-standing law allowing only the team captain to approach the referee, and there was rarely a problem with players surrounding the referees.
The proposals will be considered at the Board’s annual general meeting in March, and the Board will incorporate any approved changes into the Laws of the Game from 1 July 2024.
The members also agreed to continue developing semi-automated offside technology to help on-field match officials speed up the decision-making process.
The meeting discussed strategies to address wasted time in matches and tactics aimed at reducing the pace of play, including restricting the time to six seconds for goalkeepers to play the ball, resuming play after stopping, and limiting the pretense of injuries.
The Council also agreed that consideration should be given to including FIFA’s successful VAR procedure, which includes the referee explaining the final decision after reviewing the case.
Members also learned of the ongoing FIFA-led review of the VAR protocol, which aims to determine whether any formal recommendations are required for amendments or experimentation.
The matter will include discussions with major football competitions, which have extensive experience in using the VAR system and all members agreed that any new measures should not lead to any further delay.
The meeting discussed possible clarifications to the Laws of the Game for 2024-2025, including a possible amendment to Law No. 12 (Violations and Unsportsmanlike Conduct), under which handballs that lead to penalty kicks will be punished in the same way as violations.
Members also reviewed the successful trial involving match referees wearing body cameras at lower levels, which was proposed to reduce instances of gross unsporting behavior towards match officials.