New offside rules introduced just days before start of new Premier League season – which could have BIG repercussions

HARRY KANE’s 50th England goal would NOT be awarded under new offside laws being introduced for the new season. 

The International FA Board has now “clarified” the guidelines to referees over what constitutes “deliberate” playing of the ball by defenders that resets play and puts the attacker in an onside position.

Ifab’s rethink was a result of Kylian Mbappe’s winner for France in last season’s Nations League win against Spain.

Defender Eric Garcia stretched out to block a through-ball, inadvertently setting up Mbappe – who was in an offside position when the ball was initially played – to score.

Under the revised guidelines, that would now be called offside.

But a series of examples to show the difference between what is deemed deliberate and non-deliberate included England’s equalising penalty against Germany last month, converted by skipper Kane.

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When Jack Grealish initially played the ball towards the Germany box, Kane was in advance of the last defender.

He was played onside, however, when the ball diverted off Lukas Klosterman in behind Nico Schlotterbeck, who hauled down the Spurs striker.

Under the new interpretation, to come into instant effect, Kane’s original position, and the fact that Klosterman was attempting to intercept rather than pass the ball, means he was offside, negating the foul.

In a joint statement, The Ifab and Fifa said the changes reflected the view that “a player who is clearly in an offside position should not become ‘onside’ on all occasions when an opponent moves and touches the ball.”

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The definition of “deliberate” play has now been revised to only come into effect when a defending player “has control of the ball with the possibility of passing to a team-mate, gaining possession of clearing the ball”.

A mess-up by the defending player in such circumstances, whether a miskick or errant pass, will still reset play.

Match officials must take into account how far the ball had travelled and whether or not the player had a clear view of it as well as the speed of the ball towards the defender.

If the ball has travelled in an expected direction before being played and the defender had time to “coordinate their body movement” – basically if they were not instinctively reacting – especially when the ball is on the deck, it is more likely to be judged as a deliberate act.

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But the new guidance does not address the situation where a defender scores an own goal because he is attempting to stop the ball reaching a player who is actually in an offside position.

That implies the goal will still be given, even though the defender would not have played the ball if the attacker was not threatening to score.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk