Those with a keen eye will have noticed these new MLS rule changesright 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.