I have just received the Annual FIFA Rule Changes from the London F.A. and there are a couple which may be of interest to our players, our Manager and of course, Referees in the 7-a-side League and the Mercury Waltham League.

One of them says: 'A player is shown the yellow card if he fails to respect the required distance from an opposing THROW-IN !!!'
What is the 'required distance' though ?

The other says: 'A substitute or substituted player (standing on the touchline) is shown a yellow card if he commits any of the following offences':
1) Is guilty of unsporting behaviour
2) Shows dissent by word or action
3) Delays the re-start of play

Looks like Ritchie is going to have to stop calling opposing players a 'nob-head' from the touchline then ?!

These officially come into effect (at our level of the game) from tomorrow (1st July).

1. All opponents must stand no less than 2 meters from the point at which the throw-in is taken (this came in Jul 1st 2005 and I told clubs I reffed about this at the start of last season).

As the throw cannot commence until the opponent is 2 metres away, the opponent is delaying the restart of play by not moving 2 metres. Caution code C4.

Last year's text is below:

LAW 15 - THE THROW-IN

Procedure

Present Text

At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower:

faces the field of play

has part of each foot either on the touch line or on the ground outside the touch line

uses both hands

delivers the ball from behind and over his head

The thrower may not touch the ball again until it has touched another player.

The ball is in play immediately it enters the field of play.

New text

At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower:

faces the field of play

has part of each foot either on the touch line or on the ground outside the touch line

uses both hands

delivers the ball from behind and over his head

The thrower may not touch the ball again until it has touched another player.

All opponents must stand no less than 2 metres from the point at which the throw in is taken.

The ball is in play immediately it enters the field of play.

Reason:

There is an increasing trend for an opponent to stand immediately in front of the thrower at a throw-in, with his feet virtually on the touchline. There is no breach of Law 15 but without doubt the thrower is being impeded from completing the throw. In addition, there is the possibility of a confrontational situation developing between both players.

The only occasions where players currently need to retreat a prescribed distance at the start or restart of play is at a dropped ball or a throw-in and the proposal brings the throw-in in line with other laws.

A number of national associations are actually unofficially imposing a prescribed distance in such situations and this proposed amendment would ensure standardisation of the application of the Laws of the Game.



2. A substitute or substituted player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following three offences:

1. is guilty of unsporting behaviour
2. shows dissent by word or action
3. delays the restart of play

This has always been a route available to the ref under players misconduct (an M offence as opposed to a straightforward C offence by the County FA's).

But now they have added subs/subbed players to the Laws of the Game (LOAF) so that offending subs/used subs can guilty of these 3 offences can be treated as Cautionable offences as opposed to Misconduct Offences.

This is purely a word change and no more to stop the countys having to treat these offences as misconduct.

Now they are just normal cautions (that cannot be appealed, misconducts can!).

BORING.

I knew I shouldn't have asked !

what are meters...?

I've got one under the stairs Pete.