A look at the changes made to the Laws of the Game by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which will be applicable to the Iron in Sky Bet League Two for 2019-20.
| LAW THREE: THE PLAYERS |
| SUBSTITUTES: A player who is being substituted must leave the field at the nearest point on the boundary line, unless otherwise directed by the referee. |
| LAW FOUR: THE PLAYERS' EQUIPMENT |
| UNDERGARMENTS: Undershirts can be multi-coloured or pattered if they are exactly the same as the shirt sleeve. |
| LAW FIVE: THE REFEREE |
| RESTARTS: The referee cannot change a restart decision after play has restarted but, in certain circumstances, may issue a yellow or red card for a previous incident. |
| TECHNICAL AREA MISCONDUCT: Team officials guilty of misconduct can be shown a yellow or red card. If an offender cannot be identifiedm the senior coach in the technical area will receive the yellow or red card. |
| PENALTY TAKER: If a penalty kick is awarded, the team's penalty taker can receive assessment or treatment and then stay on the field of play to take the kick. |
| LAW SEVEN: THE DURATION OF THE GAME |
| BREAKS IN PLAY: Clarification of the difference between 'cooling' and 'drinks' breaks - medical stoppages permitted by competition rules e.g. 'drinks' breaks (which should not exceed one minute) and 'cooling' breaks (ninety seconds to three minutes) |
| LAW EIGHT: THE START AND RESTART OF PLAY |
| KICK-OFF: The team that wins the coin toss may now have a choice of ends or can choose to take the kick-off. |
| DROP BALL (PENALTY AREA): The ball is dropped for the defending team goalkeeper in the penalty area if, when play was stopped the ball was in the penalty area or the last touch of the ball was in the penalty area. |
| DROP BALL (OTHER AREAS): The referee drops the ball for one player of the team that last touched the ball at the position where it last touched a player, an outside agent or, as outlined in Law 9.1, a match official. All other players (of both teams) must remain at least 4m (4.5 yards) from the ball until it is in play. |
| LAW NINE: THE BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY |
| THE REFEREE: The ball is out of play when it touches a match official, remains on the field of play and a team starts a promising attack or the ball goes directly into the goal or the team in possession of the ball changes. In all of these cases, play is restarted with a dropped ball. |
| LAW TEN: DETERMINING THE OUTCOME OF A MATCH |
| GOALKEEPER SCORING: If the goalkeeper throws the ball directly into the opponents' goal, a goal kick is awarded. |
| LAW TWELVE: FOULS AND MISCONDUCT |
| HANDBALL: It is an offence if a player: -> Deliberately touches the ball with their hand or arm, including moving the hand or arm towards the ball -> Gains possession or control of the ball after it has touched their hand or arm and then scores in the opponents' goal or creates a goal scoring opportunity -> Scores in the opponents' goal directly from their hand or arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper |
| HANDBALL: It is USUALLY an offence if a player: -> Touches the ball with their hand or arm when the hand or arm has made their body unnaturally bigger -> Touches the ball with their hand or arm when the hand or arm is above or beyond their shoulder level (unless the player deliberately plays the ball which then touches their hand or arm) |
| The above offences apply even if the ball touches a player's hand or arm directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close. |
| HANDBALL: Except for the above offences, it is not usually an offence if the ball touches a player's hand or arm: -> Directly from the player's own head or body (including the foot) -> Directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close -> If the hand or arm is close to the body and does not make the body unnaturally bigger -> When a player falls and the hand or arm is between the body and the ground to support the body, but not extended laterally or vertically away from the body |
| GOALKEEPER BACKPASS:If the goalkeeper handles the ball inside their penalty area when not permitted to do so, an indirect free kick is awarded but there is no disciplinary sanction. |
| GOALKEEPER: If, after a throw-in or deliberate pass from a team-mate, the goalkeeper unsuccessfully kicks or tries to kick the ball to release it into play, the goalkeeper can then handle the ball. |
| GOALSCORING OPPORTUNITY: The referee can delay issuing a yellow or red card until the next stoppage if the non-offending team takes a quick free-kick and creates a goal scoring opportunity. |
| GOAL CELEBRATION: The yellow card for an 'illegal' goal celebration remains if the goal is disallowed. |
| VERBAL OFFENCES: All verbal offences are punished with an indirect free-kick. |
| USE OF OBJECT: If a player who is on or off the field of play throws or kicks an object (other than the match ball) at an opposing player, or throws or kicks an object (including a ball) at an opposing substitute, substituted or sent-off player, team official or a match official or at the match ball, play is restarted with a direct free kick from the position from where the object struck or would have struck the person or the ball. If this position is off the field of play, the free-kick is taken on the nearest point on the boundary line; a penalty kick is awarded if this is within the offender's penalty area. |
| LAW THIRTEEN: FREE-KICKS |
| INDIRECT FREE-KICKS: Once an indirect free-kick has been taken, the referee can stop showing the indirect free-kick signal if it is clear that a goal cannot be scored directly. |
| FREE-KICKS WITHIN THE DEFENDING PENALTY AREA: For defending team free-kicks in their penalty area, the ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves; it does not have to leave the penalty area. |
| DEFENSIVE WALL: Where there is a defensive wall of at least three players, all attacking team players must be at least 1m from the wall. An indirect free-kick is awarded if they encroach. |
| THE GOAL: The goalposts, crossbar and nets must not be moving when a penalty is taken and the goalkeeper must not be touching them. |
| THE GOALKEEPER: The goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot on, or in line with, the goal line with a penalty kick is taken. The goalkeeper cannot stand in front or behind the line. |
| SANCTIONS: If an offence occurs after the referee signals or a penalty kick ot be taken but the kick is not yet taken, it must then be taken after any yellow or red cards are issued. |
| LAW FOURTEEN: THE PENALTY KICK |
| THROW-IN: Opponents must be at least 2m from the point on the touchline where a throw-in is to be taken, even if the thrower is back from the line. |
| LAW FIFTEEN: THE THROW-IN |
| GOAL KICK: At goal kicks, the ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves. It no longer has to leave the penalty area. |
| LAW SIXTEEN: THE GOAL KICK |