Extra referees in champions league

[Chelsea Till I Die 0]

FIFA's lawmakers meet on Saturday to discuss changes to soccer'srulebook including extra referees, sin-bins for yellow card offencesand increasing the number of substitutions during a match.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) - whichsets the rules for the world's most popular sport - will assesswhether extra linesmen monitoring penalty areas at the end ofeach pitch can help alert referees to fouls or diving, whileavoiding the need to introduce potentially disruptive videoreplays.

European governing body UEFA will deliver the results of itsrecent trials at under-age tournaments and international matchesin Slovenia, Cyprus and Hungary.

UEFA chief Michel Platini and FIFA president Sepp Blatterboth favour such an approach instead of video replays like thoseused in rugby when the referee is unsure whether a try has beenscored.

The game's top officials say such television replays hamperthe fluidity of a match with unnecessary stoppages.

But the IFAB -- made up of the four British associations andfour representatives from FIFA -- will look at the merits ofintroducing rugby's sin-bin whereby a player booked for a foulis sent to sit on the sidelines for a set amount of time.

The proposal has been made by Irish Football Association.

Another proposal being considered, from the Scottish FA, isto increase the number of substitutes allowed from three to fourwhen a match goes to extra-time.

The IFAB will also consider a plan to extend halftime from15 to 20 minutes and a clarification of the wording of theoffside law.

The new wording relates to the type of incident that aroseat a Euro 2008 match in Berne in June when Dutch striker Ruudvan Nistelrooy opened the scoring in a 3-0 win but appeared tobe offside because Italy defender Christian Panucci was off thepitch.

The goal was correctly awarded by referee Peter Frojdfeldt.Initially his decision was widely criticised, although heinterpreted the law to the letter.

The new wording seeks to erase any doubt that even if thedefender leaves the field, he is still "active" as far asoffside is concerned.

It would read: "Any defending player leaving the field ofplay for any reason without the referee's permission shall,until he returns to the field ... be considered to be on his owngoalline or touchline for the purposes of offside."

source:soccernet.espn

Edited September 1, 2009 by Chelsea Till I Die