Referee signal Blow the whistle. Raise both arms above the head and cross wrists. Uncross arms and push them sideways at shoulder level to send players to their designated area. Player movement All players must move to and remain in their own penalty area (or another safe area chosen by the referee). Failure to comply may result in a yellow card. Meeting during suspension Captains, coaches, and any approved officials meet the referee and assistants in the centre circle to: Hear the reason for suspension. Learn expected duration. Receive instructions for resumption. Team officials & substitutes Must remain off the field in the technical area, except one…
2026 / 27 Changes to Laws of the Game
Law 3 – The Players A match may not start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players, except where this is temporary because of a temporary dismissal or where the ‘Time-limited substitution protocol’ or ‘Off-field treatment and assessment protocol’ applies; where a team is responsible, it will, in principle, forfeit the match A “10-second” time limit for players leaving the field of play when substituted. If the time limit is exceeded, the substitute cannot enter until the first stoppage after one minute has elapsed. If the player takes longer than 10 seconds, the incoming substitute cannot enter…