Back
15.08.2019Bayer 04

Rule changes for the new season

New season, new fortune. And new rules. When the Werkself start the new Bundesliga season against SC Paderborn on Saturday afternoon (15.30 CET, live text commentary and Werks11 Radio at bayer04.de), the fans at the BayArena will have to get used to new rules. Ahead of the kick-off of the 2019/20 season, bayer04.de highlights the important changes for players, officials and referees.
20190805_Schueler_B04_Training_0590.jpg

Two changes apply before the game kicks off: From this season, the captain who wins the toss will no longer only decide which end they are attacking. This term there is the option of choosing to kick-off.

In addition, the coaches will now have a greater number of substitutes to choose from. Instead of the previous seven subs, nine players can now be on the bench with the matchday squad extended from 18 to 20 players. At the same time, only six players from a team are permitted to warm up at the same time.

There is no change to the number of substitutions. However: In order to avoid wasting time, the substituted player must leave the field by the shortest possible route – that is from the nearest perimeter line (goal or touchline). Up to now, substitutions have been made exclusively at the half-way line. The substitute will continue to enter the pitch from the half-way line.

Discipline, handball and dropped balls

From this season, not only players can be shown the yellow or red card. (Head) coaches plus team officials and staff can be sent off by the referee. If the offender guilty of misconduct cannot be identified then the senior coach will automatically receive the card.

From now: Every goal scored with the hand or arm will be ruled out. Here it does not matter if there is any intention or not. Also, if an (advantageous) handball is identified in the build-up to a goal in the referee can take action.

The "unnatural extension of the body area" is to be judged by the referee. For example, if a player holds his arms above shoulder height then he can be penalised – even with a sliding tackle. The situation is different if the ball has been deflected immediately before so that there is insufficient time to react.

In future, action will be taken if the ball is touched by the referee (or another match official) and goes into the goal, leads to a change of possession or helps create an attack. A dropped ball will be awarded.

The dropped ball will now only involved one player. And that is a player from the team last in possession – at the point where the ball was last touched. All other players must be at least 4 metres (4.5 yards) away.

Free-kicks, goal-kicks, penalties, throw-ins

It will now be possible to speed the game up or take free-kicks quickly even if the referee wants to show a yellow or red card. In order to avoid an advantage or possible goalscoring opportunity, the referee can issue the card at the next stoppage in the game.

Talking about free kicks. With set plays near the goal, players from the side taking the kick will no longer be able to stand in the wall. They will have to be a metre away – providing the wall is made up of three or more opposition players.

Up to now, the ball had to leave the penalty area from a goal-kick before it could be touched by another player. Passes from team-mates can now be taken in the penalty area. The ball is in play as soon as it is touched with the foot and clearly moves. The same applies to a direct or indirect free-kick for the defending team in their own penalty area. Opposing players must be at least 9.15 metres (10 yards) away and can only move towards the ball when the free-kick has been taken.

Another rule change at set plays: The goalkeeper must now only have one foot on the goal-line when a penalty is taken. This also allows the goalkeeper to take a step in anticipation as the taker can stutter in their run-up. Moreover: A fouled player may now – if required – be treated before he then takes the penalty himself.

With throw-ins, the opposing team must now be at least two metres away from the point on the touchline where the throw-in his taken – even if the player taking the throw-in is standing behind the line.

An article by bundesliga.de on the subject of "Rule changes in the Bundesliga" is available here.

 

 

 

Related News

Rudi Vollborn
Bayer 04 - 01.07.2025

Rudi recounts…: Vollborn's July highlights

Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…

Show more
Fanwelt
Fans - 30.06.2025

Fanwelt closed on 30 June

To all Bayer 04 fans: The Fanwelt will be closed all day next Monday 30 June. This is due to preparations for the change of kit supplier from Castore to New Balance on Tuesday 1 July.

Show more
Julie Jorde
Women - 28.06.2025

Julie Jorde makes permanent move to Brøndby IF

The Norway U23 international Julie Jorde has completed the move from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Brøndby IF. The twelve-time champions of Denmark have signed the midfielder on permanent terms after her loan move from the Bundesliga to Denmark in the winter.

Show more
Bayer 04
Bayer 04 - 28.06.2025

Not the first time at the BayArena: Profile of Abdoulaye Faye

It is almost two years since Bayer 04 new signing Abdoulaye Faye first stepped foot into the BayArena as a player for the Swedish club BK Häcken in the opening match in the 2023/24 Europa League campaign. A day before his nineteenth birthday, the central defender did not play in the 4-0 win for the Werkself but it was "an incredible night" for him on 21 September 2023 as he explained in his first interview on bayer04.de. "I watched the players and saw the fans. I liked it." It was also the first European night early on in his career. He only joined the then champions of Sweden in the cold north of Europe from his home in Senegal a few weeks before that special moment. Bayer04.de profiles our new defender.

Show more
Abdoulaye Faye wechselt zu Bayer 04 | Erstes Interview
Werkself-TV - 27.06.2025

Faye: ‘Bayer 04 are the best team for my development’

Welcome, Abdoulaye Faye. The 20-year-old Senegalese central defender joins Leverkusen from top-flight Swedish club BK Häcken. In his first interview he talks about his move to Bayer 04 and his targets with the Werkself.

Show more