One more season, the rules of football change. The new IFAB regulations are here to stay, with changes to the handballs, VAR and penalties. Although it has already been put into effect, it will not be applied in La Liga until next season, although we will see five substitutions instead of three in the eleven remaining rounds of matches.

The new rules of football drawn up and approved by the International Board came into force, in which there are clarifications and changes in concepts such as handballs and penalties.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, in La Liga, they will not yet be applied, but they will start to be used from next season. However, in the 11 remaining matchdays, the number of substitutions will be increased from three to five like is already happening in the Bundesliga.

These are the changes in the IFAB rules:

– Rule 1. The pitch: The posts and the crossbar may have profiles resulting from the combination of four basic shapes.

– Rule 10. The result of a match: A player will not be sent off if in the penalty shootout they see a second yellow.

– Rule 11.The offside: It is emphasised that in an offside play, the offence by voluntary handball of a defender will be considered as such.

– Rule 12. Fouls and misconduct: Any ball striking an area of the arm below the armpit shall be considered a handball; if it strikes above that area it shall be considered a shoulder. The accidental hand of an attacker or a team-mate shall only be indicated if the contact takes place immediately before a goal is scored or an obvious chance is taken.

A goalkeeper shall be punished by yellow or red if he touches the ball unregularly a second time after play has restarted, even if they touch it with his hand or arm. A player who does not respect the four-metre limit on a dropped ball shall be punished with a yellow card.

– Rule 14.The penalty: If a goalkeeper moves forward from the goal line during a penalty kick (he must have at least one foot on the lime mark) he will no longer see yellow on the first occasion. They will be warned verbally and in case of repeat offence they will see the card. If the shooter and the goalkeeper commit an offence at the same time, the attacker will be punished. 

–VAR Protocol: It will be necessary that the referees must go to the VAR monitor in most of the plays.