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2022 Rule Changes

Updated 12-Apr-2022.

There have been some significant  rule changes for the 2022  season.  You can find the current (2022) full field laws of the game here.

A summary of the changes is available here.  The offical page for the changes is here and includes a presentation with videos that helps explain.

It seems the main changes of interest to us are around hand balls.   In particular, around when an accidental hand ball is considered a foul. Various things that might have been considered a hand-ball last year no longer are!  But, if an attacker scores “immediately” after an accidental handball – it is always a foul (no goal).  In the latter case “immediately” does depend a bit on the ref and what actually happens. It does depend a lot on the view the ref gets.  For players, as always, keep your hands a close to your body as practical and you have less chance of issues.   

Minor changes to other rules, e.g. “offside”: the lower part of the arm is no longer considered.   Also – If you try to use a “trick” to send the ball back to the keeper in breach of the rules, then you could get a yellow card.  

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2020 Rule Changes

There have been some significant rule changes for the 2020 season.  You can find the current full field laws of the game here. 

I hope to have a presentation from the referees association on the changes available soon.

Here is my very quick summary:

  • Substitutions: Players leaving the field must leave at nearest boundary
    • Then walk around the field back to the technical area.
    • The player going onto the field still enters from the centre.
  • Yellow and red cards can be shown to coaches and managers.
    •  If you are shown a red card you must leave the field and take no further part in the game.
    • If the ref can’t work out who to blame, the senior coach is shown the card
  • Goal kicks/free kicks in own penalty area:  
    • Ball is in play when kicked, can be passed to a defender in the penalty area.  
    • No real change to U12 goal kicks (25m rule)
  • Dropped balls:
    • No longer competitive. 
    • Dropped to a player of the team which last had possession, or to goal keeper if it is in the penalty area.
    • Players of the other team must be 4m back.
  • Ball hitting referee:
    • If possession changed or a promising attack developed, then the ball is dropped for the team which previously had possession
  • Coin Toss: Team that wins the toss can pick to kick off or choose direction. 
  • Refs can delay showing a yellow/red card if is to the advantage of the other team.
  • Free kick – defensive walls.  Players from the attacking team must be at least 1m away from the wall.  Yellow card offence
  • Goal keeper during penalty – When the ball is kicked, the defending goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot touching, or in line with, the goal line. Yellow card offence 
  • Passback to goal keeper – if the keeper  clearly tried to play the ball away (e.g. kick, head or chest the ball), and fails to clear it, he can then pick it up.
  • Hand-ball.  Lots of reworking of the rules to make it clearer which (possibly accidental) hand-ball events are called.  
    • Apparently this reflects what the referees have been enforcing in past years, it make makes it clearer (in most cases) what is allowed and what is not.
    • All deliberate hand-balls are still not allowed.
    • Basically – keep your hands and arms close to your body.

 

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New Robin Thomas Amenities block

Planning for the new Robin Thomas Amenities block is finally underway.

Our current facilities, dating from the 1960s,  are in poor condition and we have been working with council for some time to have them replaced.  Planning was underway around 2014 before the light rail project started. That put a stop on it all.  Whilst we disagree with various parts of light rail design and its  impact on Robin Thomas, the plans are now set and our new facilities are being planned.

The existing club house and amenities buildings will be removed and a new building built, we think behind the existing amenities building.  This is currently expected to happen from September 2019 and be ready for the 2020 season. Of course this is dependent on a lot of things and we are hoping the existing amenities building can be kept until the new building is ready. But hopefully just one more season with the old stuff and then in 2020 our facilities finally move into the 21st Century!!

Artist impression of an older version of the plans – the layout has since changed but the style should be similar.

The current plans for the new building.

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Link to Register

Registering does not automatically mean you will be guaranteed a place in a team, a space needs to be open. Having said that, we will try our best to find one and we usually do. Please use this link to register.

Note – it is important that you upload a passport style photo when you register. Otherwise there may be delays completing your registration.