THE International Football Association Board has made sweeping changes to some laws of the 
game, which will also see referees being empowered to give pre-match red cards. Players will 
no longer have to pass the ball forward from kick-off and can now directly pass the ball back 
to a teammate. <span id="more-221389"></span>Under the new laws, players can be treated on the 
pitch in order not to disadvantage the victim’s team. The new laws will be ratified at the 
body’s meeting in March and will be first implemented at the European Championships in June.

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