UEFA has announced a series of new regulations ahead of the upcoming Champions League, Europa League and Conference League campaigns.
Under the new rules, players will no longer be allowed to handle the ball inside the penalty area after a goal kick has been taken.
Any player who handles the ball in such circumstances will concede a penalty, regardless of whether the action was intentional.
UEFA’s head of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, announced the clarification on Thursday during the Champions League draw in Monaco.
Rosetti explained the changes while presenting the latest refereeing guidelines, with the new interpretation partly linked to an incident involving Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in last season’s Champions League.
During that incident, Atletico defender Marc Pubill handled the ball to place it on the pitch before playing it with his foot, even though goalkeeper Juan Musso had already taken the goal kick.
Rosetti also addressed UEFA’s updated instructions concerning the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), stressing that on-field referees must remain responsible for making decisions rather than depending excessively on VAR.
He stated: “We want them to be resolute. The Video Assistant Referee is a significant initiative, but we expect the referees on the field to make the calls.
“We do not want the Video Assistant Referee to reassess decisions, nor do we want referees who rely on its input. We seek clear evidence and obvious mistakes that warrant VAR intervention. We do not favour minute situations.”
The full package of law changes has already been communicated to clubs, coaches and players as UEFA seeks to achieve greater consistency in refereeing across its competitions, both on and off the pitch.
The new regulations also include measures aimed at reducing delays during substitutions.
Players who take more than 10 seconds to leave the field could face sanctions, while UEFA has also introduced further clarifications concerning injuries and the restart of play after goals.
