Como 4-1 Man United: Paz scores twice as Carrick’s winless run hits seven games
Nico Paz scored twice as Como beat Man United 4-1 in the Champions League, stretching United's winless run to seven games and testing Carrick.
Independent football desk
Football Law: The Laws, Money and Stories of Football
Football Law is an independent site that explains how the game works beyond the ninety minutes on the pitch. We cover the Laws of the Game, the finances that shape clubs and leagues, and the stories behind the headlines. It is written for fans, players, coaches and students who want clear answers to the questions match commentary rarely has time to explain.
Daily rules quiz
Is this a foul?
One match situation a day, ruled on the IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27. Make your call, then check the referee's decision.
More on the Laws of the GameWednesday, 21 October
Goalkeeper bouncing the ball
The goalkeeper catches a corner, bounces the ball twice and waves teammates upfield. The referee raises a hand and counts down five fingers. The keeper still has the ball when the count reaches zero.
Has the goalkeeper done anything wrong?
Reveal the decision
Referee's decision
Yes; the opponents get a corner kick from the corner nearest the goalkeeper's position, with no card unless the goalkeeper keeps repeating the offence.
A goalkeeper may control the ball with the hands for eight seconds, and bouncing it still counts as control. Going over the limit now gives away a corner kick instead of the old indirect free kick.
Next big matches
All fixturesPremier League · Matchday 8Aston VillavsMan CitySaturday 24 October, 7:30 am EDTPremier League · Matchday 8ChelseavsTottenhamSaturday 24 October, 12:30 pm EDTLa Liga · Matchday 10BarçavsReal MadridSunday 25 October, 4:00 pm EDTPremier League · Matchday 9ChelseavsMan UnitedSaturday 31 October, 8:30 am EDTBundesliga · Matchday 8BayernvsDortmundSaturday 31 October, 1:30 pm EDTSerie A · Matchday 10MilanvsInterSaturday 31 October, 3:45 pm EDT
What do IFAB's 17 Laws of the Game cover?
IFAB writes the 17 Laws that every football match follows. The current 2026/27 edition came into effect on July 1, 2026, although competitions still mid-season on that date can wait until their next season begins.
| Law | Name | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Field of Play | Pitch size, markings, goals and playing surfaces |
| 2 | The Ball | Size, weight, pressure and replacing a faulty ball |
| 3 | The Players | Eleven per side, seven minimum, substitutes, ten-second exit limit |
| 4 | The Players' Equipment | Compulsory kit, shin guards; non-dangerous items allowed if covered |
| 5 | The Referee | Referee's authority and duties; VAR review scope expanded for 2026/27 |
| 6 | The Other Match Officials | Assistant referees, fourth official, VAR and AVAR |
| 7 | The Duration of the Match | Two 45-minute halves, half-time and added time |
| 8 | The Start and Restart of Play | Kick-offs and dropped balls |
| 9 | The Ball In and Out of Play | Out only when wholly over goal line or touchline |
| 10 | Determining the Outcome of a Match | Goals scored, extra time and penalty shoot-outs |
| 11 | Offside | When being in an offside position becomes an offence |
| 12 | Fouls and Misconduct | Fouls, handball, yellow and red cards, goalkeeper's eight seconds |
| 13 | Free Kicks | Direct and indirect kicks, opponents 9.15 m away |
| 14 | The Penalty Kick | Kick from the mark 11 m out, keeper on line |
| 15 | The Throw-in | Touchline restart, five-second countdown if deliberately delayed |
| 16 | The Goal Kick | Goal-area restart; a deliberate delay gives opponents a corner |
| 17 | The Corner Kick | Restart from the corner arc; can score directly |
Bottom line: these 17 Laws cover everything from pitch markings to corner kicks, and the 2026/27 changes mostly target time-wasting and VAR.
Editor picks
Laws, money and the stories behind the game.
Como 4-1 Man United: Paz scores twice as Carrick’s winless run hits seven games
Nico Paz scored twice as Como beat Man United 4-1 in the Champions League, stretching United’s winless run to seven games and testing Carrick.
Panel backs Gravenberch red, faults Palace goal, splits on Everton’s Johnson call
The Premier League panel found no error on Gravenberch’s red, faulted Palace’s goal 3:2 and backed the Everton VAR call 4:1. Here is what the Laws say.
Real Madrid club profile with history, stadium and honours
Real Madrid is a Spanish football club from the capital, founded in 1902, that plays at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. It has won a record...
What is the Bosman rule and how does a Bosman transfer work
The Bosman rule is the principle, set by the European Court of Justice on 15 December 1995, that a professional footballer in the European Union...
VAR meaning in football and soccer
VAR stands for Video Assistant Referee. It's a match official who watches replays on a bank of screens and helps the on-field referee fix clear...
PSG beat Barcelona 4-2 in a 40-shot thriller but lose three players hurt
Vitinha’s goal put PSG ahead in a 4-2 win over Barcelona, but Dembélé, Marquinhos and Kvaratskhelia went off hurt. What we know before the tests.
How a VAR review works, step by step
VAR can step in for only four types of decision: goal or no goal, penalty or no penalty, direct red cards, and mistaken identity. The 2026/27 Laws, in effect from 1 July 2026, add red cards arising from a clearly incorrect second yellow card and yellow cards shown to the wrong player. Competitions can also choose to let VAR check corners.
- The referee decides first: Officials must always make an initial decision (including any disciplinary action) as if there was no VAR. Letting play continue still counts as a decision, and VAR can review it.
- VAR checks in the background: Every reviewable incident is checked automatically, so coaches do not need to request one. VAR cannot go looking for a second yellow the referee missed.
- The bar is high: The call stands unless the video review clearly shows that the decision was a 'clear and obvious error', or the referee missed a serious incident.
- Only the referee starts a review: VAR can only recommend one. Judgement calls, such as how hard a challenge was, usually go to the pitchside monitor. Facts like offside position or whether the ball went out are usually settled by VAR alone.
- The referee makes the final call: The referee shows the TV signal and announces the decision. There is no time limit for the review process as accuracy is more important than speed.
Football money and transfer terms explained
These ten terms decide how players move, what clubs can spend and when the rulebook bites, and each one is defined below as it stands for the 2026-27 season.
| Pos | Term | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transfer window | The window is the only period when clubs can register new signings, and for the Premier League it ran from 15 June 2026 to 1 September 2026, with a shorter winter window in January. |
| 2 | Release clause | A release clause is a fixed fee written into a player's contract, and any club that pays it can sign him without the selling club's agreement; Spanish law makes the clause compulsory in professional contracts. |
| 3 | Bosman free transfer | Since the 1995 European Court of Justice ruling, a player whose contract has expired can join a new club without any transfer fee being paid. |
| 4 | Loan with obligation | In this kind of loan, the borrowing club must make the move permanent for a fee agreed in advance once set conditions, such as a number of appearances, are met. |
| 5 | Sell-on clause | This clause gives the selling club an agreed percentage of the fee, or of the profit, if the buying club later sells the player on. |
| 6 | PSR | The Profitability and Sustainability Rules were the Premier League's financial test, which limit club losses over three years to a cumulative £105 million, and they were replaced from 2026-27. |
| 7 | Squad cost ratio | Premier League clubs can now spend a maximum of 85 per cent of their revenue on squad costs, which cover player wages, amortised transfers and agents' fees, while UEFA's financial regulations cap that spending at 70%. |
| 8 | Points deduction | A points deduction is a sporting penalty for breaking the rules, and a club that goes past both the 85% limit and its extra allowance faces a fixed six-point deduction, rising by one point for every £6.5m spent over the 115 per cent line. |
| 9 | Agent fee | An agent fee is the commission paid for arranging a deal, and FIFA's cap on these fees cannot be enforced in England after a 2023 tribunal ruling; the EU's top court said in July 2026 that the capping of commissions could be justified, but how the cap will be applied is not yet confirmed. |
| 10 | Homegrown rule | A full 25-player Premier League squad of over-21s must include at least eight homegrown players, meaning trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21, whatever their nationality. |
Latest stories
Football NewsComo 4-1 Man United: Paz scores twice as Carrick’s winless run hits seven games
Football NewsPanel backs Gravenberch red, faults Palace goal, splits on Everton’s Johnson call
Clubs & TeamsReal Madrid club profile with history, stadium and honours
Transfers & ContractsWhat is the Bosman rule and how does a Bosman transfer work
VAR & RefereeingVAR meaning in football and soccerFootball NewsPSG beat Barcelona 4-2 in a 40-shot thriller but lose three players hurt
Football NewsKogan says regulator has ‘absolute power’ to force a City sale if verdict stands
Daily ResultsFootball results for Tuesday, October 20, 2026: every score from Champions LeagueSections index
11 sections, 9 articles- Clubs & Teams1 articleThis hub covers the clubs and national teams that make up the game: where they came from, who owns them, where they play and how their squads are put together. It is built for fans who want reliable facts about a team, writers checking details before they publish, and anyone curious about how football institutions actually work. Player biographies live elsewhere; this section stays focused on the teams themselves.
- Competitions0 articlesThis hub explains how the game's biggest competitions are built, from the World Cup and Champions League to the Europa League, the Premier League and MLS. It is written for fans who want to know why a table looks the way it does, how a club qualified or went down, and what the regulations say when two sides finish level.
- Daily Results1 articleDaily Results is Football Law's running record of what happened on the pitch, gathering scores from Europe's major leagues and the cup competitions played alongside them. Each roundup is for fans who missed a match, want the full picture of a busy matchday, or need the context behind a scoreline before reading our coverage of the laws and money of the game.
- Fixtures & Results0 articlesFootball Law's Fixtures & Results hub gathers our evergreen guides to when matches are played, how they finished and where teams stand. It helps fans planning their week around kick-offs, fantasy managers checking form and anyone who wants to understand how a fixture list or league table actually works.
- Football News4 articlesFootball Law's news desk covers the stories shaping the game each day, from match fallout and disciplinary rulings to boardroom decisions and the transfer market. Every transfer item carries a clear CONFIRMED or RUMOR label, so supporters following their club's business can tell signed deals from speculation at a glance.
- Laws of the Game1 articleFootball's Laws of the Game decide every offside flag, penalty and red card, yet most fans only half know them. This hub breaks down the rules set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in plain English. It is written for supporters, players, parents and grassroots referees who want to understand what the referee decided and why.
- Match Previews0 articlesOur match previews cover the biggest fixtures in football and put the kickoff time, the latest team news and the ways to watch in one place. They are written for fans who want to know what matters before the whistle, with no betting tips, odds or tipster angles. Each preview also flags the rules, disciplinary situations and stakes that could shape the result.
- Money & Regulation0 articlesMoney & Regulation explains the rules that decide how football clubs are funded, owned and punished when they break them. It helps fans, journalists and students understand Financial Fair Play, Profit and Sustainability Rules, takeovers and disciplinary cases without needing a law degree.
- Transfers & Contracts1 articleHow players move between clubs, what they earn and who takes a cut along the way all come down to rules most fans never see. This hub breaks down the regulations, money and legal fine print behind every signing, for supporters who want to understand the headlines and for anyone weighing up a career in the game.
- VAR & Refereeing1 articleFootball Law's VAR and refereeing hub explains how matches are officiated, from the referee's whistle on the pitch to the video operations room and the technology behind offside and goal-line calls. It is written for fans, players, coaches and journalists who want to know why a decision went the way it did and what the Laws of the Game actually say about it.
- World Cup0 articlesFootball Law's World Cup hub follows the tournament from qualifying to the final whistle, beginning with a complete archive of the 2026 edition co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. It is built for fans, writers and students of the game who want reliable results, a clear explanation of how the competition works, and the laws and money behind its biggest moments.
Q&A
Frequently asked questions
What are the new football rules for the 2026/27 season?
The biggest change targets time-wasting. Referees can now start a "five-second" countdown and restart reversal for clearly delaying throw-ins and goal-kicks. A late throw-in goes to the other team, and a late goal kick gives the opponents a corner. Also, barring certain exceptions, players who receive assessment/treatment on the field of play or who cause play to be stopped due to injury must leave and remain off the field of play for one minute after play has restarted.
What decisions can VAR review now?
VAR still steps in only for a clear and obvious error or a serious missed incident. Under the 2026/27 Laws it can also review a red card resulting from a clearly incorrect second yellow; mistaken identity (yellow or red shown to the wrong player); and, optionally for competitions, a clearly incorrect corner kick award. The Premier League has chosen not to use the corner option, so the League is not opting to increase the VAR's scope.
Is the goalkeeper eight-second rule still in force?
Yes. The goalkeeper eight-second rule will continue to apply throughout the 2026/27 season. The punishment for each offence is a corner to the opposing team.
What replaced PSR in the Premier League?
From 2026/27, Squad Cost Ratio caps squad costs, which cover player wages, amortised transfers and agents' fees, at 85% of revenue. Clubs that stay within 115% of the revenues (or 100% for Champions League clubs) avoid sporting sanctions such as points deductions, but they can still be fined. Clubs playing in Europe also have to meet UEFA's own squad cost limit, which limit[s] spending to 70 per cent of revenue.
When is the January 2027 transfer window?
The winter window will open on Friday 1 January 2027 and close at 23:00 GMT on Monday 1 February 2027. Loans run on the same dates as permanent transfers.
What happened with Manchester City's 115 charges?
An independent commission found City guilty of all 80 charges related to financial wrongdoing, and 34 of 35 charges of failure to cooperate with the league investigation. City deny wrongdoing and have appealed. No sanction has been confirmed yet, and an outcome of this is expected to be announced before the conclusion of the current campaign.
Competitions we track
Premier LeagueTop: Man City · 21 pts18 fixtures in the next ten daysFixtures, results and tableChampions LeagueTop: PSG · 9 pts0 fixtures in the next ten daysFixtures, resultsLa LigaTop: Barça · 27 pts15 fixtures in the next ten daysFixtures, results and tableSerie ATop: Inter · 19 pts23 fixtures in the next ten daysFixtures, results and tableBundesligaTop: Bayern · 14 pts16 fixtures in the next ten daysFixtures, results and tableLigue 1Top: Olympique Lyon · 14 pts15 fixtures in the next ten daysFixtures, results and tableWorld Cup 2026Final: Spain 1-0 aet Argentina104 matches, 308 goals, 12 groupsEvery result and group table