Premier League 21/22 rule changes simplified - with Hackett

Handballs

The first change is a relaxation of the handball rule to benefit the attacking side, which the International Football Association Board hopes will allow for a more free-flowing game.

Accidental handball that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goal-scoring opportunity will now no longer be considered an offence.

However, an accidental handball that leads directly to the same player scoring will still be deemed an offence and a free-kick will be awarded.

Supporters can hope to see a more efficient VAR this season (Pictures: PA)

Former Premier Games Match Officials Limited chief and FIFA list referee Keith Hackett is a fan of this change, although would even argue it hasn’t gone far enough.

The 77-year-old refereeing royalty told the Daily Echo: “I was initially and still remain a non-supporter of accidental handball being an offence.

“I want the law handball rule to be very clear and say deliberate, however we have got to live with the rules as they are and how they’re amended.

“This amendment is a good one, it does mean we are zoning in on the player who scores the goal accidentally with his hand or arm, it’s unfortunate when that happens and I think it’s a bad law to begin with.

“But the change they’ve made is a positive change.”

The current PGMOL general manager, Mike Riley, said of the change: ““Fundamentally, we want the approach to be one that allows players to go out and express themselves and let the game flow.”

Supporters can hope to see a more efficient VAR this season (Pictures: PA)

Offsides

As the Daily Echo has previously reported, offsides will now be scrutinised less ‘forensically’ by Video Assistant Referee, in order to prevent lengthy delays and so-called ‘toenail’ decisions.

A minor adjustment has been made to name the definition of where the arm ends as ‘the bottom of the armpit’, for offside decisions.

Theoretically, this rules out a scenario of a player scoring but their shoulder being deemed offside.

That is, though, less important than the previously mentioned relaxing of scrutiny on offside decisions, which should hopefully now allow a little bit more leeway to the attacking team in tight calls.

Supporters can hope to see a more efficient VAR this season (Pictures: PA)

Penalties

Slight changes to penalty decision-making could see less spot-kicks awarded and the likes of Bruno Fernandes sweating over their goal tallies.

Referees will continue to monitor for contact but now it will have to be deemed sufficient contact to go down, ruling out penalties in scenarios where an attacking player has left a trailing leg deliberately to make contact, for example.

Another slight adjustment to determining a penalty is the way in which a player falls, meaning a dramatic fall should no longer be granted a spot-kick.

The idea is that this will aid to stamp out some forms of simulation and promote honest play in the opposition area.

Supporters can hope to see a more efficient VAR this season (Pictures: PA)

Hackett’s plea to rule-makers – don’t forget grassroots

He added: “This is more a change for the elite level, what the lawmakers are beginning to forget over recent years is the difficulty for the young referee at grassroots level, where some referees are not operating with an assistant, they’ve got to make these judgements on their own.

“If you haven’t got a second pair of eyes these rules are very difficult for the person in the middle, at the grassroots level.

“What I find at grassroots level is that they’re measuring your performance at the local park under the expectations that everyone’s going to be Michael Oliver when they leave their house on a Sunday morning.

“What they’ve got to understand is these guys are very experienced officials who have already learnt their craft at grassroots level, I think it makes life very difficult for those still at the grassroots level.”