Report: Premier League announce two rules changes that could impact Spurs

The Premier League is set to return when Brentford host Arsenal on 13 August and the FA have announced some changes to the rules which will come into play from the start of the new campaign.

Some rules came under fire from fans and pundits alike last season – specifically the problems surrounding VAR and the handball rule.

The ‘accidental handball rule’ is one rule that is being altered. Last season, if the ball struck the hand of a player, accident or not, it could be VAR’d in the build-up to rule out a goal or give a penalty.

The change of the rule means that an accidental handball will no longer be deemed an offence during the game. The rule officially states:

“A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised.”

The offside rule regarding VAR calls has also been modified. A big complaint and a cause of frustration last season was goals being squandered when attacking players seemed level with the last defender.

The FA have announced that thicker lines will now be used during VAR decisions to make sure the offside can be more clear. However, the exact thickness of the lines has not been confirmed.

SpursWeb Opinion 

VAR and the rules had to change. It has been the cause of so much frustration from football fans all over England.

It is good that the FA have taken in fans’ requests but we will have to wait and see whether it actually improves the state of play.

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