Home Forums Club House Ask The Ref Is LIJSL using the new rules?

Several LOTG changed as of early June. I'm specifically wondering about the change to the goal kick. Does anyone know if LIJSL has adopted the new laws yet?

Hi CoachA-
To be clear, it is NOT up to LIJSL, NYCSL, NPL, EDP, ECNL, EIEIO or any other alphabet league to decide when the Laws of the Games are changed. The 2019/2020 changes were made as all changes are made to the LOTG, by the IFAB.

Interesting that you ask about Law 16, the goal kick. It has indeed changed and a minor change at that. Unless it is a quick goal kick taken by the defending team the opposing team must be clear of the penalty area for the kick and the kick no longer has to leave the penalty area before it is touched by another player.

There are several other changes that may bring even more debate and they are more significant.These law changes are currently in effect for the Women’s World Cup and will be in effect for tournaments and then the next fall season.

Thanks LIRef77. The goal kick change will not be minor in youth games. LIJ still has a week left in the season. I wonder what will happen when my center forward runs into the penalty area to steal a short kick as soon as contact is made. I hope the center ref is up to speed. And...I guess that the opposing coach won't be. It will be interesting.

Trust me CoachA, Law 16 will be the least of the problems with these law changes. On a goal kick now the ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves and that is when your center forward can move in to the PA. Your forward might have a better chance of intercepting a goal kick when it is a “quick goal kick” and the player taking it may do it quick enough where your forward is still in the PA.

Another Law change that you will see in professional leagues that have already been used in LIJSL and NYCSL is that team officials all the way to the highest levels can now be shown yellow and red cards. This also applies to youth games that previously did not allow it like State Cup games and all the other leagues. I like this change because it gives the Referee a few more tools to use instead of first having a conversation with the Coach and then expelling him when he continues. Showing a Coach a yellow card may indeed get the message across quite clearly and the yellow card can be quite an effective tool.
I always disliked dealing with an inappropriate Coach in a game where the only tool I had was conversation and then expulsion. No matter how reasonable and in control you can be as a Referee some Coaches just do not get it and need to see a yellow card to realize that they have crossed a line and the next time they cross it they can pay the ultimate price. I dislike giving yellow or red cards to anyone. But I have never hesitated to do it when it is necessary and appropriate.

I think the most important changes besides the goal kick are the drop ball, placement for the keeper during PKs, being allowed to choose to kick off rather than just which side you want to attack, and what the restart is for certain types of handling.

On the youth level, we've always been able to card the coaches, but yes on the professional level we can now wave good bye!

This should be interesting, and I agree, hopefully all the official and coaches are brushing up on the new changes!