The EFL have issued an update on officiating for the new season, with several tweaks confirmed.

One of the main changes will come into place when a handball offence denies a goalscoring opportunity.

Any outfield player who deliberately handles the ball to deny the opposition will be sent off, which was the case last term.

However, players who do not make a “deliberate movement of the hand/arm to the ball” will now be cautioned instead of getting a red card.

These instances are described as when a player makes their body “unjustifiably bigger” but there are several mitigating factors officials will consider, including proximity, when the ball is played by a team-mate, when a player plays the ball onto their own arm or when the ball hits a supportive arm when a player falls.

Encroachment

Another change for the new campaign involves encroachment into the area when penalties are taken.

Previously, officials could force a retake if players were stood in the box while the spot kick was taken.

Now, players will only be penalised for encroachment if they impact the play such as distracting the taker or goalkeeper. This could also include attackers scoring the rebound or defenders making a clearance if the initial penalty it not converted.

In-play time

There is also an aim to “maintain an average of nine minutes of enhanced ball in-play time” across the Championship, League One and League Two.

However, there is a slight change from last term involving goals and celebrations. Now, officials will only add on time after 30 seconds has elapsed.

Time lost for “substitutions, injuries requiring treatment, penalties and red cards” will be included. Moreover, scoreboards and screen timings will continue to run into stoppage time.

Players will be cautioned for “clear and deliberate actions that are impactful in delaying the restart of play”.

Officials will adapt a “high threshold” for fouls to maintain the tempo of games, although protecting player safety remains of paramount importance. There will be an emphasis on the message that “not all contact constitutes a foul”.

Injured players will receive treatment off the pitch apart from certain circumstances, as was the case last season.

These circumstances include when a goalkeeping is injured, a keeper and outfield player have collided, players from the same team have collided, a severe injury has occurred, a player is injured by an offence for which the opponent was sent off or cautioned, and when a penalty has been awarded and the injured player will be the taker.

If a player leaves the pitch for treatment, they will not be able to return until at least 30 seconds have passed.

If a player declines the physio and a team-mate tries to delay the restart, the will be booked in an attempt to prevent time wasting or breaking up the momentum of the game.

Holding

Finally, there will be an emphasis on holding and situations will be penalised when it is sustained and has a “clear impact on the opponent’s opportunity to play or challenge for the ball”.

Holding one arm, both arms or a player’s shirt will usually be considered an offence unless there is no clear impact.

Holding while “focusing solely on the opponent and paying no attention to challenging for the ball” will also generally be an offence, but mutual holding will not usually be called up.