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What's the story?
Nine football law changes were adopted by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in March and are set to be applied to the UEFA Champions League next season.
One of those rules will, however, make its debut in the Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid next month.
In case you didn't know...
The IFAB, which is made up of four representatives from FIFA and four Home Nations, decided to make nine major changes to the rules in Europe's elite competition. The rules are briefly summed up below:
1. Attacking players will have to be positioned at least a metre away from the defensive wall during free-kicks.
2. Goal kicks or free kicks inside the box will no longer have to leave the penalty area although opposition players will not be allowed in the area until the ball is played.
3. Managers have the luxury of picking their substitutes from 12 players in a 23-man squad.
4. Drop balls can now be directly given to the goalkeeper of the side who last touched the ball.
5. Players will be punished if they use their hands or arms to score or create chances even if it is accidental.
6. During penalties, goalkeepers will not be allowed to touch the post, bar or net before the kick. He will also need to have only one foot on the line during such a situation.
7. Managers can now be penalised with yellow and red cards.
8. The team who wins a toss will get to choose between a kick-off or a favoured end of the pitch.
9. A player who is substituted must leave the pitch at the nearest point as opposed to the previous rule that dictated them to leave only on the half-way.
The heart of the matter
Liverpool are set to go head-to-head with Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final scheduled to take place at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium later this week.
While the two Premier League sides battle it out for the coveted European title, one of the new rules is set to be making its debut during the game.
According to reports, Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino will be given the freedom to name a 23-man squad, giving both sides the chance to pick from 12 substitutes.
Both managers will also be allowed to make a fourth substitution if the game goes into extra time.
What's next?
You can catch the much-awaited European final between Liverpool and Tottenham on June 1.
