When do the new Laws apply?
The amendments took effect from 1 July 2026, so they apply to your matches this season. If you are reading an older Laws book or an app that has not been updated, some of what you remember is now out of date.
One date to note for later: IFAB's “only the captain” guidelines become a compulsory protocol for all competitions from 1 July 2027. In England, though, The FA already applies Captains Only at every level this season (more on that below).
The changes that will affect your Saturday or Sunday
1. Substitutions: ten seconds to get off (Law 3)
The player being replaced must leave the field within ten seconds of the substitution board being shown, or, at grassroots where there is no board, of your signal that the substitution can happen.
If they dawdle, they still have to go, but their team pays for it: the substitute may only come on with your permission at the first stoppage after one minute has passed since the restart. The player is cautioned only if they excessively delay the restart beyond the ten seconds. With several substitutions at once, everyone must be off within ten seconds of the last one being indicated.
On the pitch
Make your signal clear and deliberate, so there is no argument about when the ten seconds started.
2. Injured players leave and stay off for a minute (Law 5)
An injured player may not be treated on the field. When an injury stops play or delays the restart, the player must leave the field and can only come back one minute after play has restarted (a running clock, not stoppage time). The old get-out of “if the assessment is completed quickly” has gone.
There are exceptions, including an injured goalkeeper and an injury caused by a physical offence for which the opponent is cautioned or sent off. Re-entry when the ball is in play is from the touchline.
On the pitch
Keep a note of the restart time when a player goes off. It saves an argument with a manager who wants their striker back on.
3. Five-second countdown at throw-ins and goal kicks (Laws 15 and 16)
If a player is unfairly delaying a throw-in or goal kick for their own team, you whistle and start a five-second visual countdown with a raised hand. If the restart has not been taken by the end of the five seconds:
- a throw-in goes to the opposing team;
- a delayed goal kick becomes a corner kick to the opposing team.
The offending player is cautioned only if they excessively delay the restart after that.
On the pitch
This gives you a sanction short of a yellow card for the team running down the clock at 1-0. Sell it with a clear arm and a visible count.
4. Jewellery: covered accessories are now allowed (Law 4)
The blanket jewellery ban has been removed. The Law now says accessories are permitted as long as they are not dangerous and are safely and securely covered. Dangerous items must be removed, and must not be taped or covered.
On the pitch
You still check equipment before kick-off and still make a judgement. “Not dangerous and securely covered” is the test; anything that could injure someone comes off.
5. Fewer than seven players (Laws 3 and 7)
A match may not start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players. Temporary dismissals and one-minute periods off under the substitution or injury protocols do not count against that. In principle, the team responsible for an abandonment because it is short of players forfeits the match, subject to competition rules.
On the pitch
Report the facts to the league. The outcome is for them, under their rules.
6. Advantage after a wrongly taken restart (Law 5)
You can now play advantage not only when an offence occurs but also when a restart is incorrectly taken and the ball is in play.
7. DOGSO and advantage (Law 12)
If you play advantage after a foul that denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the non-offending team scores, there is no disciplinary sanction for the offender. The factors for judging DOGSO also now explicitly include the location and number of defenders and attackers.
8. Accidental double touch at penalties (Laws 10 and 14)
If the kicker accidentally plays the ball with both feet, or it hits their other foot or leg straight after the kick:
- in a penalty shoot-out, if the ball goes in, the kick is retaken; if it does not, it is recorded as missed;
- in normal play, if the ball does not go in, an indirect free kick is awarded.
9. Dropped balls (Law 8)
The ball is dropped for the team that would have retained or gained possession, including from the restart if the ball would have gone out of play. If it hit a match official or an outside agent, it is dropped at the position of that interference.
What is optional, or not for grassroots
Some 2026/27 changes are competition options, applying only if your league adopts them. These include sending off a player who covers their mouth when talking to an opponent in a provocative way, sending off players who leave the field in protest at a decision, and sending off team officials who instruct or encourage players to walk off. Body cameras and all VAR changes also sit here. Check your league's rules before applying any of them.
The FA's own rules for 2026/27
Separately from IFAB, The FA has set out behaviour measures for the grassroots season:
- Captains Only applies across all levels of English football. Only the captain may approach you about a decision, within a four-metre “captain-only zone”. Other players who come in can be cautioned for dissent. If the goalkeeper is captain, a nominated outfield player takes on the role.
- Cooling-off periods are being rolled out nationally. You can pause play and send all players to their penalty areas, then speak to coaches and captains in the centre circle. Players who leave without permission get a sin bin (ten minutes). There is a maximum of two per match; if a third is needed, the match is abandoned.
- Silent Support Weekends are on 14–15 November 2026 and 13–14 March 2027.
Test yourself before Saturday
Reading a summary is one thing; making the call in two seconds with a manager shouting is another. The quickest way to make the new Laws stick is to test yourself on them before your next match.
Try the free Laws of the Game quiz →FAQ
- When did the 2026/27 Laws of the Game come into force?
- The amendments took effect from 1 July 2026, so they apply to grassroots matches this season.
- Can players wear jewellery under the new Laws?
- Accessories are now allowed if they are not dangerous and are safely and securely covered. Dangerous items must be removed rather than taped. The referee still decides.
- Is Captains Only compulsory at grassroots?
- The FA applies Captains Only across all levels of English football this season. IFAB makes its "only the captain" guidelines compulsory for all competitions from 1 July 2027.