Saturday 8 August 2015 09:31, UK
With the new season comes another change to the offside rule, and a welcomed crackdown on players who feign injury.
To add, behaviour in the technical area will be monitored more closely, and the FA have also restricted the number of players allowed to surround match officials.
Here, we give you an overview of all the changes
Change 1 - The offside rule
What's changed? Essentially, if a player has a shot at goal and a team-mate in an offside position makes a play for the ball – even if they do not touch it – the goal will now be disallowed.
EXAMPLE: Juan Mata goal: Man Utd v Stoke City, December 2, 2014
THE SCENARIO: United are leading 2-1 and pressing forward. Juan Mata swings the ball in from the left, Marcos Rojo is in an offside position when the ball is kicked, he leaps well, does not touch the ball, and it slips into the far corner.
LAST SEASON'S DECISION: Goal. THIS SEASON'S DECISION: Offside.
FORMER REFEREE MIKE RILEY SAYS: This is a good example of how a player who didn’t touch the ball has an impact. The Stoke 'keeper can't decide whether to come for the cross or stay and make the save. As the ball is played over Rojo jumps for the ball, gets very close to it, clearly attempts to play it. The keeper can't commit, does he dive, does he come for the cross? It clearly has an impact on him. Last season we couldn’t penalise this but this season it would meet the criteria.
Change 2 - Feigning injury
Players who feign injury could now be banned as the FA attempt to stamp out simulation from the game.
Although restricted to those players who feign injury to get another player sent off, rather than those who simply dive, the rule change is still significant.
If footage used to overturn a red card decision after a game shows the 'victim' has deliberately deceived referees, that player can now face a three-match ban.
Change 3 - Technical area
Football’s governing bodies in England have agreed to a code of conduct for managers and anyone else in the technical area during matches.
The code, jointly agreed by the FA, Premier League, Football League, LMA and PFA, is designed as guidance for players, coaches and staff ahead of the new season.
It follows a series of high profile incidents over the past few seasons where the conduct of managers on the touchline have made the headlines.
Alan Pardew received a seven game ban after he head-butted David Meyler in a game between Newcastle and Hull City in March 2014 and the then Sunderland boss Gus Poyet was sent to the stands - and later charged by the FA - after a touchline row with Steve Bruce a year later.
Other clashes have gone unpunished - including Arsene Wenger's shove on Jose Mourinho during a league game between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge last season.
Read more about the two-step process for dealing with transgressors...
Change 4 - Surrounding officials
The FA have introduced a minor change relating to the number of players allowed to confront a referee.
Previously, if three or more players approached a referee in a confrontational way, the club face being charged with misconduct, if that referee reported the incident.
Now, that number has been reduced to two or more players.
