What’s new in the Premier League this season

It has also been confirmed that photographs of VAR incidents will be shown on screens in the stadiums and explained over speakers, so fans will know exactly what’s happening.

Deliberate handball is still an offence, but accidental handball can also now result in a free-kick or penalty.

Even if it’s a mistake, if the ball goes into the goal off an attacking player’s hand, then a free-kick will be awarded to the opposing team. The same applies if a player gets the ball using his arm and then scores, or creates a goal-scoring opportunity, such as Ellen White’s disallowed goal against Sweden in the Women’s World Cup third-place play-off.

It’s also handball if a player’s arm is above their shoulders or if their arms have made their body unnaturally bigger.

Controversially, that means that even if a player has their hands behind their back, if they are judged to have made their body bigger, a penalty or free-kick will still be awarded.

A handball will not be a free-kick or penalty if the ball is knocked onto a hand accidently by another player, or if a player’s arm or hand is close to their body and has not made their body unnaturally bigger. A handball also won’t be given if a player falls over and the ball strikes their arm.

Opponents will now have to be at least one yard away from the wall.

Another change is that referees can allow quick free-kicks to be taken, even when a yellow card is about to be given. This means attacking teams can pass or shoot quickly if there’s a goal-scoring opportunity.

This rule change could mean many more free-kick goals this season.

Up until now, no player could be in the box when a goal-kick was taken. Now, the goalkeeper can play the ball to defenders inside the penalty area, but opposition players have to remain outside.

This will mean starting attacks and keeping possession straight away from a goal-kick, rather than the keeper just lumping the ball up-field. Could this mean the end of the long-ball tactic?

This isn’t a new rule as such, but there might be a stricter response to goalkeepers who try to bend it.

Keepers have to remain on the goal line when a penalty is kicked, but if you watch a lot of football you will know that they often like to creep forward as they try to get an advantage.

Now, if a keeper leaves the goal line before the ball is kicked, it should result in a retake. Penalties will also not be taken until the goalkeeper has stopped touching the posts or crossbar or even if the frame of the goal is wobbling after being knocked by the goalie.

Players will no longer slowly jog towards the halfway line while being pestered to hurry up, because under the new rules they have to leave the pitch at the nearest point to them.

New rules will also see a change to how substitutions work and managers who get cross at the ref could be given red and yellow cards

Red cards will be given to managers who kick or throw water bottles, along with those who use offensive, insulting or abusive language.

Team captains can now choose which end to attack or if they want to kick off first. Last season they could only choose which goal to attack.

Instead of a ball drop the ball will go to the team that played the ball before the referee stopped play.

On many occasions, this rule will be used when a ball accidentally hits the referee, but only if a team gets an advantage from the ref’s touch.

However, in the event that the referee accidentally knocks the ball into the goal in the penalty area, a goal won’t be given and neither will a drop ball.  Instead, the ball will be given to the goalkeeper to re-start play.