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Football rarely makes substantive changes to its laws of the game.
There are regular technical changes that impact interpretation of laws of the game (LOTG) and redefine procedural matters – for example, introducing the concept of passive offside, determining where free kicks are taken, giving cautions for removing a shirt when celebrating a goal, instructing referees on hand signals for a direct and indirect free kick et cetera – but for the for most part the football I watch today is the same as when I first watched it more than 40 years ago.
However, the way football is played has changed. Players are fitter, stronger and quicker and the game is played at a higher pace than when I started watching. No doubt people who’ve been watching for longer will notice the changes even more.
One of the few substantive changes to the LOTG in my lifetime that profoundly changed the way football is played was the introduction of the back pass law in 1992. Prior to its introduction a goalkeeper was allowed to use their hands inside his own penalty area at any time.
However, since 1992 the goalkeeper is no longer allowed to touch the ball with their hands if a teammate deliberately kicks the ball to them or if they receive it directly from a throw-in taken by a teammate.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
This law has profoundly changed the game. In particular it has changed the technical requirements needed to be an elite goalkeeper.
Now, 25 years after the introduction of the back pass law, I would like to see a further substantive change that will affect goalkeepers and that I think will increase the purity of the game by further minimising the use of hands to control the ball.
The goal area in football is defined by law 01.5 as
Two lines are drawn at right angles to the goal line, 5.5 m (6 yds) from the inside of each goalpost. These lines extend into the field of play for 5.5 m (6 yds) and are joined by a line drawn parallel with the goal line. The area bounded by these lines and the goal line is the goal area.
But what exactly is the purpose of the goal area? After reviewing the LOTG the only purpose I see for the goal area marking is to create a zone from which a goal kick is taken. While this purpose is important, I would like the goal area to have a new and more powerful purpose that will transform the way the game is attacked and defended.
(Patrick-Leigh / CC BY-SA 2.0)
My new law is based purely on the goal area would be:
A goalkeeper is the only player permitted inside his team’s goal area and the goalkeeper is only allowed to touch the ball with his hands inside his own goal area.
Some of the benefits I see from this law change would include:
Will there be negative outcomes from this law change? I can’t think of any major consequences other than eliminating tap-in goals from inside 5.5 metres.
So let’s make the goal area a no-go zone for outfield players and reduce the occassions on which a goalkeeper can handle the ball.
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