The Laws have been changing for 120 years


A few weeks ago I commented on the trials and tribulations that referees of Reading's under-15 school's team had faced in earlier rounds of the English School's FA Cup.

Reading FC's historian, David Downs, is also known to many people as the doyen of schools football in the town. Now that the under-15s have reached the final, he has told me that the referee faced even greater controversy when Reading last won the cup. They did it with an 'illegal' goal, when they scored direct from a corner. 

'What's wrong with that? I can hear you asking but the fact is that they last reached the final in 1920 and, until 1927, a goal couldn't be scored direct from a corner. It was considered an indirect free kick.

 Today everyone knows you can score from a corner but what about a goal kick or the kick-off? It wasn't until seventy years later, 1997, that the law was changed to make it possible to score direct from kick-off or a goal kick but even now some people are not aware of it.

I am often asked, particularly when some controversial change is made, how law changes come about, who instigates them and how are they agreed? 

The answer goes back to the early days of football in this country. To have international matches between the four 'home' countries, of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, everyone obviously needed to play to the same set of laws.

The International Football Association Board was formed in 1883, with each of the four countries having two representatives and then as the game spread throughout the world, FIFA was invited to have two members as well. The inclusion of FIFA on the Board meant that all national associations who are in membership with FIFA, have to abide by the law changes. This ensures that where ever the game is played in the world, they are bound by the same set of laws. 

At a later date, the number of representatives was increased to four for each of the associations and that included FIFA. The crunch was, however, that each home country is now restricted to one vote, while FIFA have four. When you consider that FIFA is responsible for the rest of the football world, then this doesn't seem too unfair, There has to be a three-quarters majority for a new law or a law to be altered so it can be seen that if FIFA doesn't like, it won't get passed. 

The Board meets annually and has done so since 1883, except for the war years. The way law changes get instigated is that any federation, as national associations are known, is entitled to put forward suggestions to the Board. This year when the Board met in February, there were sixteen proposals, of which half were approved and the other half were either thrown out or withdrawn. Some were tidying up operations, clearer wording to existing laws, whilst others were more radical changes. 

One example was a proposal from the Welsh FA, that a player could only be offside in their opponent's penalty area. Thankfully that was withdrawn without discussion.

Earlier in the season, I wrote about the suggestion from the European Elite Coaches group, who wanted the offence of denying a goal scoring opportunity downgraded to a caution if it happened in the penalty area. This made it to the list but was withdrawn at the last minute. 

The new laws will come into force next season and, although there is nothing major, players may find one or to surprises. None of this will worry the Reading under-15 squad, when they play the second leg of their final at the Madejski Stadium next Monday, 25th April. I'm sure we all wish them luck and hope that all their goals and good and legal.


Dick Sawdon Smith

 

 

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© R Sawdon Smith 2005