What’s NEW for 2019?

Region 20 Referees,

Welcome back to a fun-filled new season, MY2019!   As you probably have heard, there have been many significant Changes to the LOTG. These changes/amendments/clarifications were agreed upon in March 2, 2019, by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Scotland and will go into effect in June, 2019.

Some of the “Big” items that will affect our AYSO matches may include:

  • Team Officials may be shown a Yellow Card or Red Card
  • Coin Toss: winner decides which goal to attack OR to take the Kick-off; opponents then take the Kick-off or decide which side to attack
  • What happens when ball hits Match Official and: goes into goal, or possession changes, or an attacking move starts—> Dropped Ball for team that last touched ball before it touched the referee
  • ???What happens if it hits a Match Official and doesn’t change possession and there is no new promising attack?
  • Dropped Ball: DB if ball hits match official, remains in field of play and
    • a team starts a promising attack (what constitutes a “promising attack?”)—DB for team that last touched b4 touching ref
    • the ball goes directly into the goal (this should be very unlikely!)—DB for team that last touched b4 touching ref
    • the team in possession of the ball changes (THIS is what we will have to be alert and paying attention to (!) to return the ball to the team that had possession and deserves to get it back after stopping play)—DB for team that last touched b4 touching ref
  • Dropped Ball: DB for the defending team goalkeeper in their penalty area if, when play was stopped
    • the ball was in the penalty area
    • the last touch of the ball was in the penalty area
  • Dropped Ball: In other cases the referee drops the ball for ONE player of the team that last touched the ball at the position where it last touched a player, an outside agent, or as outlined earlier, a match official
  • Dropped Ball: all other players (of both teams) must remain at least 4m (4.5yds) from the ball until it is in play
  • New Handball text–re-written; new guidelines
  • Goalkeeper may touch ball with hands after unsuccessfully kicking (or attempting to kick) from a throw-in or kick pass back from a teammate
  • Ref can delay the issuing of a YC/RC in situations where offended team takes a quick free kick
  • List of YC/RC offences for Team Officials
  • All Verbal Offences are punished with IDFK
  • Referee can lower his/her arm that signals an IDFK if it is clear that a goal will not be scored directly
  • Defending team Free Kicks taken within their own Penalty Area are in play the moment the ball is kicked and moves (ball does not have to leave the PA for it to be ‘in play’)
  • Defensive Walls: if there are three (3) or more attackers in the wall, opponents cannot join in on the wall and must be at least 1 yard away in all directions; IDFK if they encroach
  • Goalkeeper must keep at least one (1) foot on the goal line during the taking of a PK
  • Goal Kicks: the ball is in play the moment the ball is kicked and moves (ball does not have to leave the PA for it to be ‘in play’). Defenders can be inside the penalty area and can touch/play the ball inside the penalty area. The moment the ball is kicked, opponents can enter the penalty area and play/challenge for the ball.