“ The back-pass law is the best rule change ever – it has changed the game. ~ Peter...

“
The back-pass law is the best rule change ever – it has changed the game.

~ Peter Schmeichel

***

The law change was simple. Previously, goalkeepers were allowed to use their hands if the ball was deliberately kicked to them by a teammate. Now (1992), they were not.

The back-pass law served its initial purpose, and teams were no longer able to time waste so blatantly. There were significant knock-on effects. Teams had a greater incentive to press in advanced positions, forcing defenders into mistakes, and managers were less inclined to play stiflingly aggressive defensive lines, because covering the space in behind now involved playing out of trouble. As a result the game became stretched, which created more room in midfield. Arguably the biggest change was in the speed of matches – players had previously become accustomed to breaks in play while goalkeepers held onto the ball. Suddenly the action had become non-stop.
”

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