Rule changes authorized last May by IFAB (International Football Association Board) have finally arrived for the 2017 MLS season.

Those with a keen eye will have noticed these new MLS rule changes right at kick-off:

A solitary striker stood above the ball, and upon the ref’s whistle, passed the ball backwards, directly towards his own midfield, instigating the start of play. By himself.

Gone are the bygone days of the two man kickoff, and the rule that I will never forget questioning upon only my second game of organized soccer, at the tender age of 8.

Another big change is that players’ hands and arms no longer factor into offside decisions. Good luck, Linesman.

Other rule changes are harder to spot, at first glance.

Red cards are no longer automatic for a foul inside the box that denies an obvious goal scoring opportunity. The ref uses his discretion on such plays to determine the correct punishment, but excessive violence will still be met with a red card.

The infamous Luis Suarez handball incident from the 2010 World Cup, for instance, could have resulted in a yellow card instead of a red, under these new rules. But his biting habits? Straight red, I don’t care who your dentist is.

A jarring alteration, refs are to give an automatic yellow card to any goalkeeper that jumps off their line early on a penalty kick, which seems harsh. A re-kick is awarded if they miss. Put it on a platter, why don’t you?

In addition to the rule changes, a list of “four points of emphasis” for referees has been released by MLS:

Holding and pushing in the penalty area

No more getting friendly with opposing players via your hands, especially on set pieces. Especially-handsy folk will earn some alone time with the ref.

Acts of visual dissent

Blowups, tizzies, tantrums, miffs, and the general giving of guff to the referee will be met with swift punishment, in the form of Pokemon cards.

Delayed restarts

Dan Blank’s book ‘Soccer IQ’ tells me time wasting and generally buying your team time is always good thing, no matter what. But if the cards start to stack up…what then?

Persistent infringement

Consistent, constant small fouls will earn the ire of the man with the cards. Don’t draw his attention any more than you want to smell his breath.

A referee’s responsibility is to interpret the rules of the game, provide fair judgement, and ultimately be RoboCop.

These rule changes and focus points are intended to speed up the ref’s decision-making, encourage players to streamline play, all the while providing the ref with the control needed to call a fair match.

The laws of the game are intended to be interpreted, if not closely followed. Referees never want to impact a match, and would rather let the rules, the players, or home-field advantage be the eventual decider.

It will take some growing pains, but MLS fans, players, and referees, alike, should benefit from implementation of the new rules and focus points. See how excited Michael de Leeuw is for them?

Scant will be the MLS game sullied by a unwarranted red card. Furthermore, goals could increase with less body parts to put you offside! The bottom line is MLS will still be fun to watch. If you can’t visibly agree with that, I have card for you!