The laws of the game are amended so often that it’s hard to keep up sometimes - even if you’re a professional footballer.Take Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic, for example.The winger was playing against AS Roma on Sunday evening when, in the 6th minute of the match, he was left utterly confused by the referee’s decision to show him a yellow card.Perisic had stopped inside his own penalty area and decided to play it safe by heading the ball back to his goalkeeper, Samir Handanovic.But because he flicked the ball up to himself, the Croatia international was penalised.As soon as the pass was completed, referee Paolo Tagliavento ran over to Perisic and brandished the yellow card.None of the Roma players around Perisic noticed that an infringement had just been committed - although Daniele De Rossi has clearly brushed up on the laws of the game recently because he realised immediately.

Here's what happened

Perisic flicks the ball up and heads it to Handanovic…

Handanovic grabs the ball…

Perisic is booked…

Roma were subsequently awarded an indirect free-kick.

Watch it here...

Here's why Perisic was booked

So, why was Perisic booked for this innocuous act?

It’s because of the FIFA rule that stipulates players are not allowed to use ‘trickery’ in order to get around Law 12.

“No trickery may be used to get around the terms of the amendment to Law 12,” the rules state. “A player may pass the ball to his own goalkeeper using his head, chest, knee, etc.; however, if, in the opinion of the referee, the player uses a deliberate trick -- such as flicking the ball to his head with his foot and heading it to the goalkeeper or kneeling and deliberately pushing the ball to the goalkeeper with his head or knee -- he must be cautioned for ungentlemanly conduct.

“It makes no difference whether or not the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands; the offense is committed by the player who is seeking to circumvent both the Spirit and Letter of the Law.”

Verratti fell foul of the same rule last month

There was a similar example last month involving Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti.

The Italian crouched down and headed the ball back to his goalkeeper, Kevin Trapp, but was punished for displaying ‘ungentlemanly conduct’.

Is this law good for football - or is it a load of nonsense? Have your say by leaving a comment below.