Reducing play time and allowing players to take a free kick or a corner themselves are amongst some of the radical changes to football are being proposed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). And it's safe to say that these proposals could be some of the biggest shake-ups the game has ever seen.
The new proposals would see match times being changed from 90 minutes to the shorter time of 60 minutes, with the clock stopped every time the ball goes out of play.
In regards to free kicks and corners, players would be allowed to take them themselves - essentially they are allowed dribble with the ball. It also includes allowing free kicks to be taken with a moving ball, and goal kicks would no longer have to leave the penalty area.
And it doesn't stop there either, goalkeepers will have to be careful because in these new proposals, a penalty goal could be given, even if the goalkeeper handles a backpass. It could also see penalty goals given in the case of a goal-line handball, a rule similar to the penalty try rule that already exists in Rugby.
Added to all of this, one proposal states that teams could be docked points for surrounding the referee during games.
These proposals also offer referees the opportunity to use the video review system, Video Assisted Refereeing.
Use of VAR was trialled at the Under-20's World Cup to success: making 12 decisions out of the 52 games at the tournament, without disrupting the game.
Former Premier League referee David Elleray, who is now the technical director of the IFAB, helped plan the proposals. Speaking with The Times, described how the proposals were drawn up to 'make the game better.'
It is a radical document. You could say that it is a quiet revolution aimed at getting football even better. My starting point was to look at the laws and say 'what are they for?' and if there is no particular reason then would changing them make the game better.
It looks like there could be a good few changes on the horizon for the game, if the proposals are cleared of course.
