Aston Villa share frustration with referee bosses Pro Ref over new laws and lack of common sense

Villa have contacted the head of English football’s referees to share their frustration with some of this season’s newly-introduced rules.

Villa, who welcome Nottingham Forest to Villa Park on Saturday afternoon, are understood to be one of several clubs to have reached to share their ire with Pro Ref - formerly PGMOL - the body who oversee the officials.

Some of the rules Villa have revealed their annoyance over are believed to include delays over the return of injured players, substitutes departing the field and the handball law.

It is said players are frustrated by the complicated nature of some of the new regulations and both clubs and players are looking for more common sense to be applied.

Several new laws were introduced at the beginning of this season by the game’s global bosses at IFAB - international football association board - to clamp down on scenarios like time-wasting.

Villa and other clubs have been made aware that the new rules have been put in place by IFAB.

Villa had right-back Matty Cash off the field for one minute at Hull last weekend as a result of new regulations that sees players receiving treatment sidelined for a minute before they can be reintroduced. That was increased from 30 seconds previously, to stamp out time-wasting.

Cash, who had been struck by an elbow, missed the win in Club Brugge on Tuesday.

Players now have just 10 seconds to leave the field by the nearest boundary after a substitution. Should they fail, the replacement must wait for the first stoppage in play after a one-minute penalty to enter.

Wolves were hit with that penalty last weekend after skipper Raul Jimenez exceeded the 10-second law while looking to hand over the armband.

Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa spoke this week about how he pushed for clarification in the tunnel about grappling in the penalty area ahead of last Sunday’s 2-2 draw at St Andrew’s.

Manchester United had a controversial own goal awarded against Ipswich after a handball last month. The goal was allowed to stand per rules because, following the handball, Maguire’s shot was off target and deflected in off a Tractor Boys defender.