The talking points from the first three matchdays of the Premier League have consisted mainly of the infuriating handball rule implemented by the authorities.
The responsibility for drawing up the rules of football belongs to the International Football Association Board (IFAB). While the Premier League itself cannot make changes to the laws of the game, it can change the way they are interpreted.
And that is exactly what they have done.
Following a meeting conducted by the Premier League on Tuesday evening, match officials have been asked to be more lenient with the decisions that they make.
The decision was made in consultation with the IFAB, which changes the rules of the game at the end of each season.
Something that most people don’t know is that referees are graded on their performance by their superiors. This affects their pay-bonuses and their chance of officiating high-profile fixtures.
Hence, the referees have no choice but to implement the laws even if they don’t like them. Otherwise, they might be relegated to the lower leagues or might get sacked altogether.
Coming back to the changes made to the infuriating handball rule, the Premier League have asked the referees to apply more practicality and common sense to their decisions on the pitch.
As reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic, if the ball strikes the hand of a player that is above other player’s heads, it would still result in a penalty.
On the other hand, shots being deflected onto a defending player’s arm will be subjected to the ‘natural positioning’ rule.
In other words, the deflection of a ball onto a player’s arm will be subject to the referee’s discretion. It is expected that the change in rules will be applied from Matchday 4, with fixtures being played next weekend.
Fans, players and coaches can only hope that the change in rules will prevent football from being ruined.
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