Regulatory
-Participant Behaviour Charter replaces Technical Area Code of Conduct
-Dismissed Technical Area occupants not permitted to take a seat in the stand, or return to the field of play post-match, or conduct post-match media obligations
-FA Standard Charges to include touchline bans for confrontational behaviour towards match officials
-Automatic 1 match ban after 3 Technical Area cautions
-Any touchline ban includes prohibition from being on the touchline or field of play before or after the match – but can fulfil media obligations
-Technical Area policy to cover numbers and behaviour – FA E20 charge for non-compliance
-Financial penalties proportionate and reflect financial reality targeting serious and repeat offenders
-Technical Area cautions contribute towards the multi-player misconduct total – 6 or more in one match results in financial penalty
-Mandatory refereeing courses for Scholars to improve players’ education and insight into officiating
Public comments
-Pre-match comments about Match Officials may be subject to disciplinary action even when the Match Official is not specifically named. This includes references to the VAR
-Post-match comments which criticise or disagree with the decisions of a Match Official are permitted but must be done in a respectful manner. Any comments which are not, or imply bias, question the integrity of a Match Official or are personal or offensive may be subject to disciplinary action
-Personal or offensive comments may include repeated negative or inflammatory comments regarding a Match Official’s performance
-The above also applies to social media comments and covers all participants, including Clubs
-Sporting sanctions may apply to players and managers for media comment breaches
Contents:
VAR
VAR Improvement Plan
Decision-making process
What VAR cannot do
Threshold for VAR intervention
Attacking Possession Phase
Semi-Automated Offside Technology
Participant Behaviour Charter
Context for Change
Core Principles
Updates for Season 2024/25
Effective Playing Time – Allowance for time lost
Effective Playing Time – Calculation of Additional Time
Effective Playing Time – Delaying the restart
Effective Playing Time – Managing momentum
Handball – Interpretation
Holding
Blocking
Denying a goal or an obvious goal scoring opportunity
Penalty kicks
IFAB Trial
Additional Guidance
Decision-making principles
Offside – Delaying the flag
Offside – Deliberate play
Offside – Interference
Handball – Definition of the hand/arm
Handball – Accidental handball before a goal is scored
Serious foul play
Violent conduct
High foot challenges
Challenges on Goalkeepers
Matchday Protocols
Multiball protocol
Substitutes warm up protocol
Concussion substitutions
Pre-match warm up protocols
Post-match warm down protocols
