By: John Puglisi, NISOA National Clinician

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved the NCAA Soccer Rules for 2018 – 2019. The rules changes included several modifications to improve alignment with the IFAB Laws of the Game, expand the use of video review and provide additional requirements for suspended players and bench personnel.

Alignment with the IFAB Laws of the Game

The NCAA Soccer Rules have been modified in response to recent changes in the IFAB Laws of the Game regarding:

• ball pressure;
• retakes on penalty kicks if the ball becomes defective;
• awarding a corner kick in the case where a team kicks the ball directly into their own goal on a kickoff; and
• requiring the retake of an indirect free kick if the referee fails to use the proper signal for an indirect free kick and the ball is kicked directly into the opponent’s goal.

Video Review

Rule 5 has been modified to remove the requirement for head coaches mutual consent to using video review before the game starts. As part of the pregame duties, the referee shall confer with the host game management staff to determine if video review equipment is available and if so, video review will be used. Video review may be for incidents involving “violent behavior.”

Other Playing Rules

Rule 5 was also modified to permit bands to play and the use of musical instruments/artificial noisemakers at anytime during the game. Rule 4 was modified to allow goalkeepers to wear stockings that are distinctive from the opposing fields players only.

As always, the NISOA instructional program will be developing and distributing instructional materials that provide depth and detail for the implementation of these rules changes in the coming months. Full text of the NCAA’s summary of the rules changes is available below.