Ex-Premier League referee: Liverpool handed major boost as claim on new law change issued
Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League will benefit from the IFAB’s clarification of the offside law, according to Keith Hackett.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee claimed the IFAB’s intervention will refresh the memory of officials who had been misinterpreting the law.
As reported by ESPN last week (27 July), the new interpretation means strikers will not benefit from being in an offside position.
The most high-profile example of the controversy caused by the previous reinterpretation came in the Nations League final in 2021.
Kylian Mbappe received the ball in an offside position after a pass by Thiago Hernandez but was played onside when Eric Garcia touched the ball when trying to intercept the through ball.
Under the new interpretation, the goal would have been ruled offside.
“This isn’t a law change, this is a clarification,” Hackett told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“I think the IFAB are saying ‘We have seen some inconsistencies of interpretation and this is clarification. We reiterate what we said before’.
“It needed to be said. All it does is inform the media and the stakeholders in the game and refreshes the memory of referees in terms of correct law application.
“I welcome it. Anytime the IFAB come out with a form of clarification it helps the process.”
Liverpool begin their Premier League season on Saturday (6 August) when they travel to Craven Cottage to face newly-promoted Fulham.
They already secured their first trophy of the season with a 3-1 win over Man City in the Community Shield last Sunday (31 July).
In other news, Liverpool will “dominate the market” after “elite” news from Premier League HQ.