What is IFAB and why do they rule the game?

The world of soccer has plenty of acronyms fans are familiar with. FIFA, EPL, MLS, CONCACAF, USSF, and many more comprise the alphabet soup of entities that govern the sport. But one that isn’t so familiar is the IFAB – the International Football Association Board. But what is the IFAB, and why should you care?

What is the IFAB? The rule makers, that’s what

To understand the IFAB, you have to understand the origins of the game. As association football evolved in the late 1800s, different nations sometimes used slightly different rules. This was a less-than-ideal situation, so the solution was to create a body that could standardize the laws of the game.

The four Football Associations of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland – where the game originated – first met in 1886 as equal voting members of the IFAB.

When FIFA was formed in 1904, they decided that they would follow the laws of the game set forth by the IFAB. Nine years later, FIFA representatives were added to the IFAB.

Fast-forward, membership has slightly changed. After the Irish partition, the Northern Irish FA took the Irish place on the Board. The new Republic of Ireland FA was denied membership however in 1923.

Since 1958, voting on changes to the laws of the game requires a three-quarters majority. The four FAs each have one vote, while FIFA has four. This means six votes are needed to approve a change, and neither the FAs nor FIFA can act unilaterally.

New laws, or changes, usually take effect each July 1 after they have been approved.

Why the IFAB matters

When the rules change in soccer, those changes originate with the IFAB.

Love, or despise, the addition of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR)? Goal and offside checks? You can thank the IFAB for those.

Recently, it has been announced that “sin bins,” or temporary dismissals, will be allowed to be trialed in higher-level competitions starting in 2024. This comes after grassroots-level experiments…

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Author : Derek Reese

Publish date : 2023-11-29 18:06:49

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