Euro 2024 updates: Key changes in VAR, handball laws, and referee interactions explained

As the 2024 European Championships in Germany are just around the corner, football fans across Europe are eagerly anticipating another spectacular showcase of international football.

England's unexpected 1-0 defeat to Iceland ahead of the tournament has done little to calm nerves, especially with powerhouses like France, Spain, Italy and Portugal boasting formidable line-ups that pose a significant threat to the Three Lions this year.

Gareth Southgate's squad is determined to outdo their previous performance, still smarting from the agonising penalty shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley three years ago. They'll be aiming to improve on their semi-final and quarter-final exits from the 2018 and 2022 World Cups under Southgate, a former England player himself.

The journey to the final won't be a walk in the park, with Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia standing in their way during the group stage. A potentially gruelling knockout stage could see them up against host nation Germany, Spain or France before even reaching the semi-finals.

However, with the 26-man squad announced on Thursday afternoon, skipper Harry Kane is ready to lead his team on yet another quest to bring football home.

So, without further ado, here are all the key rule changes since the 2020 Euros three years ago.

VAR

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR), a contentious feature in contemporary football, has been utilised more effectively in major tournaments recently than in the domestic Premier League. During Euro 2020, each match was officiated by a team of nine, including a referee, two assistant referees, a fourth official, a reserve assistant referee at the stadium, and four video match officials operating VAR.

This year's tournament has trimmed down the team of video match officials to three, likely to streamline VAR reviews and expedite the process. In preparation for the tournament, all referees, referee assistants, and video match officials underwent a training course in Frankfurt, Germany last month.

Throughout the tournament, referees, referee assistants, and support referees will be stationed in Frankfurt, while the video match officials will operate from Leipzig's International Broadcast Centre during matches. As per UEFA's regulations, big screens in stadiums will display crucial VAR replays, enhancing supporters' understanding of the VAR review process.

Regarding referees

A new rule is being introduced to the tournament where players who surround referees will be booked, with only the captain permitted to discuss on-pitch decisions with the official. This move by UEFA aims to discourage 'mobbing' of officials and reduce undue pressure, thereby creating a less tense atmosphere.

The announcement was made last month, further stating that if a nation's captain is their goalkeeper, then a "teammate can be nominated to approach refs". However, any other player attempting to intervene will be shown a yellow card.

Handball

The handball rule has always been a contentious issue in football, leading to many decisions either favouring or disadvantaging a team when arguably, it could've or shouldn't have been given. At the previous major tournament, UEFA decided to continue allowing referees to rely on their own judgement to determine the validity of the hand/arm's position in relation to the player's movement in specific situations.

This tournament is expected to follow the same procedure, with football's lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), defining the handball rule as follows: "It is a handball offence if a player:- deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball;- touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player's body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised; or- scores in the opponents' goal:- directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper; or- immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental."

Yellow card/Red card resets

Cautions from the qualifying stage, both the group stage and the play-offs, are expired going into the tournament, meaning every player will start on a clean slate. In the final tournament, players and team officials will be suspended for the next competition match after two cautions, as well as after the fourth caution.

Cautions from games played in the tournament that have not resulted in a suspension will expire on completion of the quarter-finals and will not therefore be carried forward to the semi-finals. If a player receives a red card, it'll mean a one match suspension for both two yellow cards and a straight red card.

Substitutions

Teams are permitted to use up to five substitutes per match, with a sixth substitute allowed if matches go into extra time. Each team is allowed a maximum of three stoppages to make their five subs, with an additional stoppage granted in extra time.