Sports
New penalty, substitutes rules as Premier League begins this weekend
As clubs set to begin the 2022/23 campaign this weekend, the Premier League has announced a new set of rules and changes that would guide the competition.
Some of the changes include increase in substitutes, multiball system, penalty rules, among many others.
FIVE SUBSTITUTES
Managers can now make five substitutions after this was raised from three, with agreement reached on the subject at a summer meeting between the clubs.
The changes can be made on three occasions during a match, with an additional opportunity at half-time. A total of nine subs can be named on the bench, up from seven in 2021/22.
MULTIBALL SYSTEM
In an attempt to cut down on time-wasting, this system will be reintroduced after being used when games were behind closed doors. A total of 10 balls will be used, one on the pitch, one with the fourth official and another eight positioned around the perimeter of the pitch. The idea is to keep the game flowing and limit delays in restarting the action.
NEW MATCH OFFICIALS
Four new officials have been promoted by PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited).
Tom Bramall, Natalie Aspinall, Nick Greenhalgh and Steve Meredith are the fresh faces. Remember the likes of Mike Dean, Kevin Friend, Jon Moss and Martin Atkinson have new roles and will not be refereeing Premier League fixtures.
PENALTY RULE CHANGE
The goalkeeper’s position for a penalty kick has been amended in the IFAB Laws of the Game.
When the ball is kicked, the keeper must have at least part of one foot touching, or in line with, or behind the goalline. The law still requires a keeper to have at least part of one foot on or above the line until the moment the spot-kick is taken. Therefore, the keeper may not stand behind, or in front of, the goalline.
MATCH POSTPONEMENTS
The guidance has been revised if a club has an insufficient number of players. Club requests to the board will continue to be considered on their facts and assessed on a case-by-case basis.
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Approval will only be granted where the impact of player unavailability on a club’s squad is “truly exceptional and where the club concerned have taken all reasonable steps to avoid the necessity to make the application”.
CHANGE TO OFFSIDE
IFAB has clarified the offside rule and explained what constitutes defending players “deliberately playing” the ball.
Now, an offside player will not automatically become onside upon a defender touching the ball. The guideline states: “Deliberate play is when a player has control of the ball with the possibility of passing the ball to a team-mate, gaining possession of the ball, or clearing the ball. If the pass, attempt to gain possession or clearance by the player in control of the ball is inaccurate or unsuccessful, this does not negate the fact that the player deliberately played the ball.”
NO ROOM FOR RACISM
The club captains have decided to use specific moments during the campaign to take the knee, rather than before every game. This will include during the opening round of the season this weekend.
It will also occur during the ‘No Room for Racism’ match rounds in October and March, Boxing Day fixtures and the final day of the campaign.
NEW OPPONENTS
There are also, of course, more obvious things to be aware of this term.
Nottingham Forest are back in the top flight for the first time this century, and are likely to have United loanee Dean Henderson in goal. Bournemouth and Fulham are the other two newly promoted sides.
SEASON INTERRUPTION
Obviously, the biggest change is the pause in the Premier League programme due to the World Cup taking place this winter in Qatar. The domestic top-flight season stops on 12/13 November and resumes on Boxing Day (26 December).
Football fans are in for an exhilarating weekend as club action resumes across Europe.
With major leagues in full swing, Saturday promises a lineup of high-stakes matches that could shape the course of the season.
From England to Spain, Germany to Italy, and France, top clubs are set to battle for crucial points in their respective leagues.
Premier League Showdowns
In the Premier League, all eyes will be on London as West Ham United hosts Chelsea in an early kickoff at 12:30. Both teams are desperate for points as they seek to improve their standings in the competitive top-flight.
At 15:00, a flurry of matches will take place across England.
In the Midlands, Aston Villa takes on Wolves in a heated derby, while Fulham hosts a high-flying Newcastle United.
Leicester City will clash with Everton as both teams look to climb the table, and Liverpool faces Bournemouth at Anfield, where the Reds will hope to bounce back from a shock defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Southampton meets Ipswich Town in what could be a tightly contested game, and Tottenham Hotspur faces Brentford, with Spurs continuing their push under new management.
Rounding out the Premier League action, Crystal Palace will face Manchester United at 17:30, as both teams look to secure a much-needed victory to stabilize their seasons.
La Liga Battles
Spain’s La Liga promises an action-packed day, starting at 13:00 when Real Valladolid hosts Real Sociedad. At 15:15, Osasuna will take on Las Palmas, followed by Valencia versus Girona at 17:30.
The day’s headline fixture kicks off at 20:00, with Real Madrid hosting Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabéu as the Spanish giants aim to further assert their dominance in the league.
Bundesliga Clashes
In Germany, Bundesliga action kicks off at 14:30 with four matches taking place simultaneously.
Bochum faces Holstein Kiel, while FC Heidenheim squares off against Freiburg.
Union Berlin takes on Hoffenheim, and Werder Bremen will meet Bayern Munich, with the defending champions looking to continue their strong form. Later, at 17:30, Eintracht Frankfurt will go head-to-head with Borussia Mönchengladbach in the evening’s highlight game.
Serie A Action
Over in Italy, Serie A will see Venezia host Genoa at 14:00, followed by a major clash between Juventus and Napoli at 17:00. With both teams battling for crucial points in the title race, this match could prove decisive. The day wraps up with Lecce facing Parma at 19:45.
Ligue 1 Highlights
In France’s Ligue 1, Lille will kick off the day at 16:00 against Strasbourg. Rennes will meet Lens at 18:00, and the evening’s marquee fixture will see Paris Saint-Germain travel to Reims at 20:00. The defending champions are aiming to extend their strong form as they push for another league title.
With top clubs across Europe in action, this Saturday promises to deliver a thrilling day of football for fans worldwide.
The Ayomidiran Foundation, under the leadership of Hon Ayo Omidiran, has appointed four prominent women as ambassadors for its “Girls Play Sports” initiative, aimed at inspiring young girls to excel in sports.
The initiative has brought together Ayisat Yusuf, a former Super Falcons player and current sponsor of Ayisat Yusuf Football Club; Mary Onyali, a celebrated silver-winning Olympic sprinter; Onome Ebi, who represented Nigeria in five FIFA Women’s World Cups and captained the Super Falcons in several international competitions; and Olufunke Oshonaike, a six-time Olympic table tennis player who has won numerous medals for Nigeria.
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On the rationale for their appointment, Hon Omidiran asserted that ‘these accomplished athletes, known for their dedication and excellence, are role models for girls across Nigeria’.
The grand finale of the inaugural Girls Play Sports football tournament will take place in Abuja on September 29, 2024, where the ambassadors will participate in celebrating female athletic achievements and encouraging more girls to embrace sports.
The foundation also plans to expand the initiative to include sports like table tennis, basketball, and athletics in the future.
“We are honoured to have these sports legends on board,” said Hon Omidiran.
“Their success and passion for sports will inspire a new generation of female athletes, promoting empowerment through sports,” he added.
Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard will be sidelined for an extended period due to an ankle injury he sustained during international duty with Norway.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta announced this on Wednesday.
Ødegaard twisted his ankle in Norway’s Nations League match against Austria earlier this month.
The national team doctor initially estimated that Ødegaard would be out for at least three weeks.
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However, recent scans have revealed ligament damage, leading Arteta to acknowledge the injury’s seriousness.
Arteta said, “The scans showed some damage, especially to one of the ligaments in the ankle. While I can’t provide an exact timeframe, it is significant, and we’ll miss him for a while. We’re hopeful it won’t be for months, but we’ll see.”
Arsenal, who were Premier League runners-up last season, will face Manchester City, the reigning champions, on Sunday.
The Gunners are currently second in the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Tottenham, trailing City by two points.
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Anonymous
August 3, 2022 at 10:07 pm
This is a cool move can’t wait for the league to start