La Liga to return with no ban on spitting or celebrations

1:22pm on Monday 8th June 2020
By Martin Macdonald

La Liga action will return this Thursday, with players allowed to clear their throats via spitting and celebrate goals with a team-mate hug without being punished with a booking.

The German Bundesliga recommenced a in May with a wide variety of new regulations due to the current pandemic, such as substitutes and other spectators socially distancing in the dugout, and close-quarter celebrations being banned.

With regards to celebrating, in Germany it has been left to the authority of the referee as to whether any action is punishable with a yellow card. However, in Spain, it looks like players will be free to celebrate as they wish - and spit, too.

The banning of celebrations such as hugging comes following a confirmation from the Spanish Referees Technical Committee, who have witnessed, like all football fans, players celebrating in such a manner during training sessions, and even posing together in group photos.

Broader regulations employed by Germany will also be used in Spain, with five designated substitutions allowed compared to the usual three.

Head coaches in the Primera Division will also have the opportunity to select a substitute from their entire roster of 23 players, if available, providing them with more options to change tactics or personnel on the pitch should they see fit.

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Consistent rules throughout Europe for the remainder of the 2019/20 campaign will be the cancellation of pre-match rituals like opponents shaking hands, as well as the referee and his assistants gathering with the captains for handshakes pre-match in the middle of the pitch for the coin toss.

In the Spanish top flight, Barcelona currently lead the standings two points ahead of Clasico rivals, Real Madrid.

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