MIKEL ARTETA has helped bring about a change in the laws of football – to stop coaches being sent off for innocent mistakes.
Arsenal chief Arteta was booked for grabbing the ball a fraction of a second before it went out of play for a Gunners throw on the touchline during his side’s Champions League defeat at Inter Milan.
Uefa confirmed that Arteta should have been dismissed for his action.
But Lawmakers on the International FA Board have now agreed to propose that from next season it would just be an indirect free-kick and no disciplinary action against the coach or any substitute who accidentally infringed.
Ifab technical director and former Premier League ref David Elleray explained: “It’s currently a direct free-kick, or a penalty if it happens inside the box as was the case in a match in Germany a few years ago, and a red card.
“Of course, the coach might still get a yellow card if he comes out of his technical area to do it but if the Laws are applied rigorously we feel they are too draconian.”
The Law change will be confirmed at The Ifab’s annual general meeting in Belfast in February, along with two other minor alterations.
The first will allow Prem refs and officials in other domestic competitions to explain changed VAR decisions over stadium tannoys to give more explanation to fans in the ground over why a call has been overturned.
That was trialled at the Women’s World Cup in 2023 and has been used more widely since.
Prem clubs will decide if they want to adopt the measure for next season, in addition to the extra information now being displayed on giant screens.
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And the last change will relate to drop ball situations where play is just outside the penalty box.
Currently the ball has to go to the defending team if they have cleared it but from next term that will revert to the attacking side if they would clearly have taken up possession.
