The rules are changing: substitutions, handball, goalkeepers and penalties...

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) are the independent guardians of the football rules of association football and they meet on Monday in Doha in order to approve rule changes that will become official on 1 July.

In addition, the debate surrounding what happened during the current season will be on the table, with a special focus on what is and is not a punishable handball.

The option, which came hand in hand with the pandemic, of making five changes will become official in all competitions that wish to do so. The championships of each country may or may not adopt it, but in all competitions organised by FIFA the five changes will be official.

Each team may use three substitution windows, plus half-time. In extra time, the quota of five changes may be completed if they are not used, and an additional sixth is added if the competition rules provide for it.

When a player prevents a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity for the opposing team by committing a handball offence, he must be sent off, irrespective of where it occurs.

Changes were announced affecting goalkeepers and penalty kicks. It was interpreted as valid that the goalkeeper could have one foot in front and one foot behind the line, but in fact it was an infringement.

The rule has been reworded to emphasise that the spirit of the rule requires the goalkeeper to have both feet in direct contact with or directly over the goal line until the penalty kick is taken.

In other words, the goalkeeper may not stand either in front of or behind the goal line.

Semi-automatic offside, present at the Arab Cup and Club World Cup, is still under consideration and a decision will not come at Monday's congress, but the possibility that the squad lists for the World Cup in Qatar will be extended to 26 players will also be discussed.

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