UEFA Aims to Increase Champions​ League Match Pace Through Refereeing

The European‍ Football Association (UEFA) is working to increase ‍the pace of Champions League matches through refereeing, as reported‌ by Spanish‌ newspaper “Marca”.

UEFA’s chief refereeing officer, Roberto ‌Rossetti, has‌ instructed referees to ⁤focus on several ‌key areas to achieve this goal:

• Allowing less extra time to‌ keep the game moving.
• Ensuring the game remains vibrant and obstacle-free.
• Encouraging dialogue with team leaders instead of collective protests on the ‌field.
• Utilizing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology to make quick and dynamic decisions, with suggestions limited to ⁢45 seconds or less.

The Rules of Handball Remain ‍Unchanged

During the last European Nations Cup, UEFA clarified certain aspects of the rules that often sparked controversy, ‌including handball. However, no changes were made ⁢to the existing laws.

The ⁣handball laws, which were updated in early July for the 2021-2022 season, will remain in ‌effect.

For instance, Cucurella’s handball in the European Nations ⁤Cup would not ‌have resulted in a penalty kick, and if it did, the referee would have ⁢been at fault.

The ⁤match referee’s decision not to award a penalty kick to the Germans despite Cucurella’s handball in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals was in line with the existing rules.

UEFA has introduced several amendments to the Football Law since the changes approved⁤ by the International⁣ Football ⁢Association ⁢Board (IFAB) came into force ‍on 1 June for the 2020-2021 season. These amendments include:

• If a player ⁤and the⁢ goalkeeper commit‍ a violation simultaneously, the kicker is penalized.
• If the ball bounces⁤ off a player‌ inside ⁣the penalty area and accidentally touches⁢ the hand of a teammate inside the area from close range, it is not considered a penalty kick.

The‌ rules of the game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and cannot be changed at will by⁢ any ⁣body.