Reprinted from The Diagonal Vol. 4, No. 2, (Summer 1997)

What Didn't Change?

In Bill Mason's Summary of the 1997 Changes, Bill also identifies some significant points of the Laws that have not changed, but have been accommodated differently in the restructuring. However, referees must understand that some provisions of the Law, though seemingly different from prior years, actually have not changed at all. Future revisions may clarify these provisions, but, to apply the Spirit of the Laws correctly, we must be aware of them now. I'll cover the most significant ones here.

Restart after misconduct. When the referee stops the game for misconduct that doesn't involve a foul, the restart is an indirect free kick. This provision of Law 12, including the special cases related to entering or leaving the field without the referee's permission, is missing from the 1997 Laws. Nevertheless, it is still in force and should be applied as in 1996.

Encroachment by attackers on a penalty kick. After the referee has signaled for a penalty kick to be taken, the kick proceeds even if a player encroaches. Formerly, such encroachment was a cautionable offense and, if necessary, the referee would stop play after the penalty kick to administer the caution. Encroachment on a penalty kick is no longer a cautionable offense. However, if an attacker encroaches and the ball remains in play following the penalty kick, the referee should stop play and award an indirect free kick to the defense at the point of the encroachment. This provision, formerly in Law XIV IBD 4(c), isn't in the 1997 Laws. Nevertheless, it still applies.

Fair charging away from play. A player who fairly charges an opponent when the ball is not within playing distance is punished by the award of an indirect free kick to the opponents at the spot of the offense. This provision formerly appeared in Law XII, paragraph 4, but is absent from the 1997 Laws. Nevertheless, a fair charge away from play is still an infringement and is punished with an indirect free kick. (Don't confuse this with the penal foul of charging an opponent carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force.)

Charging the goalkeeper. The restructuring of the provisions of Law 12 regarding the goalkeeper is not intended to expose the goalkeeper to new physical risks. The AYSO National Rules and Regulations formerly prohibited charging of the goalkeeper within the penalty area. This provision has been replaced by the following:

The effect of these changes is to remove special privileges of the goalkeeper when (s)he is playing the ball as any other player would (e.g., dribbling). The goalkeeper is still protected from unfair challenges, however, including when (s)he is holding the ball.

The Laws of the Game have changed significantly this year, but not as much as one might believe from a literal reading. Bill Mason's summary covers the Law changes that are relevant for AYSO referees. Any other apparent changes, especially through omission, should not be assumed to be deliberate. When in doubt about such changes, apply the 1996 Laws unchanged, and seek definitive interpretations through your Section referee staff.

As always, the Section 2 Law Interpreter, Roy Levin, welcomes your questions on Law interpretation, by phone (650-323-1290) or email.

Last updated 1 September 97 Palo Alto AYSO Referee pages Copyright © 1997 AYSO Section 2