IFAB confirm free-kick rules will be changed from next season

                                                           Image : Indian Express

Football's lawmakers are still looking for new ways to improve the flow of matches and iron out some of the tricks teams have got used to utilising over the years.

The International FA Board (IFAB) have already discussed a number of new options. First, penalties could be restricted to just one shot, so rebounds wouldn't count. 

Yet another change has been reported in the London Evening Standard, which would affect how attacking free-kicks are taken. 

Currently, when a player steps up to take a free-kick, there is usually at least one of his team-mates to be found standing next to the defensive wall.

IFAB technical director David Elleray said:

"It leads to confrontation as the attacking players try to force a gap in the wall and delays the free-kick because the referee has to stop all the pushing and shoving."

It is indeed tiresome when set-pieces are delayed by these tactics, and if anything, it will just free up another attacking player to make a run into the box. 

Other changes being lined up are: 

• Potential drop-balls when the ball hits the referee. 
• The goalkeeper only being required to have one foot on the goal-line during penalties.

There is nothing gone one paper but potentially this is possible and able to change the flow of game.

#Theballman