Referee bosses have issued a number of guidelines to match officials to reinforce certain rules during Season 2003/04.

In particular the Board of Professional Game Match Officials, which oversees the work of match officials in the Premier League and Football League, has targeted goalkeeper movement, penalties, the behaviour of team officials, goal scoring celebrations and reckless challenges.

Referees have been instructed to be extra vigilant at the taking of penalties and order a retake if the goalkeeper moves forward before the kick is taken and the penalty is missed.

Behaviour of club officials in the technical area will also be monitored closely. 

Referees and fourth officials have been reminded that anyone leaving the area to remonstrate with an assistant referee, using abusive, insulting, offensive or threatening language or gestures, or persistently failing to comply with the Laws of the Game, League Regulations, competition rules or requests of the fourth official can be expected to be reported.

Match Officials should also pay attention to goal scoring celebrations and caution players who, in their opinion, make provocative gestures, climb onto perimeter fences or go into the crowd, or delay the restart of plat due to excessive celebration.

Reckless challenges which endanger the safety of an opponent will also be punished. 

Where the challenge is regarded as reckless but the ball is taken cleanly the offending player should be cautioned.  But if the challenge takes the players, or the ball and the player, a red card should be shown.