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As a new MLS season approaches, we've been informed of some points of emphasis that league officials will look to clamp down on in 2017. The Professional Referee Organization (PRO) general manager Peter Walton said that the four points of emphasis that MLS referees will focus on for the upcoming season are: holding and pushing in the penalty area, acts of visual dissent, delayed restarts and persistent infringement.
In addition to the four points of emphasis, MLS has also adopted a few new rules coming down from the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the group that ultimately determines the global laws of the game.
The major changes that MLS fans can expect for the upcoming season include officials no longer automatically giving out red cards for the denial of obvious goal-scoring opportunities (the end of the "triple punishment" rule), kickoffs will now be permitted to be played in any direction and players who suffer an injury by a yellow or red card foul will now be able to receive treatment on the field without having to come off.
Holding and Pushing in the Penalty Area
The most physical area of the game is inside of the penalty box. This is the area where elbows are thrown, jerseys are grabbed and players use their brute strength to try to gain an advantage over the opponent. For the upcoming season, PRO will be having MLS referees keep a closer eye on this type of play inside the box.
According to Walton, MLS referees will be paying closer attention to holding and pushing within the penalty area during set pieces. The referees have also been given the instruction to punish offenders who are "clearly impeding the opponent" without making an effort at playing the ball.
Acts of Visual Dissent
Hopefully, this spells the end of coaches and players going after the referee after any sort of call. This upcoming season, this will be something that will be taken seriously, as referees will not condone players or coaches reacting to calls in a negative fashion. Visual dissent can be punished by a yellow card to players as well as coaches.
Delayed Restarts
Players will often deliberately interfere with the opponent to gain an edge or to give their team more time to recover some energy. This season, referees will be clamping down on these goofy situations.
Walton has said that MLS officials will have less patience this upcoming season with regards to players who will kick a ball away or stand over a free kick ensuring that it cannot be taken quickly.
Walton will be looking for officials to be aware of players who intentionally try to delay the opponent on restarts and will caution offenders with a yellow card if they are repeatedly doing it.
Persistent Infringement
Something that has been a huge issue in the rough-and-tumble MLS is the action of small, petty fouls that break the rhythm of the game.
Walton has stated that all four officials will be in charge of detecting persistent infringement, but there's no standard with regards to how many fouls would merit a yellow card.
Overall, MLS fans should be happy that PRO is trying to place an emphasis on these issues. It will be interesting to see how they enforce these points of emphasis throughout the season, particularly the debate after we see the first penalty call for holding in the area.
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