The Premier League will be kicking off in the 2025-26 season with a fresh set of rules designed to enhance the fan experience and improve the game’s integrity.
These changes aim to increase fan engagement, promote fair play, and ensure financial sustainability in the Premier League.
As with every summer, there have been a few tweaks in football’s laws ahead of the first kickoff on Friday, August 15, 2025, at Anfield between Liverpool and Bournemouth.
Many rules were introduced in the FIFA Club World Cup and the European Under-21 Championship – and will be implemented in the Premier League and beyond this season.
The eight-second rule
This rule will punish goalkeepers who delay restart for more than 8 seconds with a corner for the opposition. It is the hope that this will clamp down on time-wasting antics by goalkeepers.
Referees will warn the goalkeepers with a five-second countdown. The new law applies across football now and was seen in action at the Club World Cup.
Al-Hilal keeper, Yassine Bounou conceded a corner deep into injury time in their 1-1 draw against Real Madrid after holding onto the ball for more than 8 seconds.
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Only the captain rule
Only captains will be allowed to approach referees during Premier League matches this season.
Yellow cards can be shown to players who approach officials without permission and behave in a disrespectful manner. If the captain is a goalkeeper, a team can provide an alternate player before kick off.
The International Football Association Board says this is recommended, but not compulsory, for every competition – but the Premier League will adopt it.
The initiative was used in the Champions League, Europa League and UEFA Conference League last season.
Double-kick penalties can be retaken
A rare one that may well not be needed all season in the Premier League, but players will be allowed to retake a penalty if they accidental touch it twice while kicking it.
This rule will only be use if the player scores after accidentally kicking it twice.
The new law has already been used this summer in the Women’s European Championship final penalty shootout.
England’s Beth Mead slipped with a double touch and scored in the shootout against Spain – and had to retake it. Her second attempt was however saved by Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll.
But under the old laws, she wouldn’t have been allowed to retake it as it would have gone down as a miss.
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Grappling in the penalty area
Officials have been ordered to crackdown on incidents that see players grappling in the box.
Referees and VARs will take note of whether the holding player’s focus is on the ball or the opponent.
Last season in the Nottingham Forest v Brighton match, Forest were awarded a penalty after Tariq Lamptey was penalised for holding on to Morgan Gibbs-White.
Referees will be on the lookout for similar offences in the new campaign.
While the league privately feels it has “got it about right” with their use of VAR technology – reducing total errors from 31 to 18 last season – holding in the box at set-piece situations is a key area they want to monitor closely.
There are other minor law changes unlikely to be noticed.
A drop ball may be given to a team who did not touch the ball last before play was stopped – if the referee deems they would have gained possession.
If a coach, substitute or player off the pitch for any reason touches the ball before it goes out of play, an indirect free-kick will be awarded, but no card will be issued.
Offsides are judged on the passing player’s first point of contact with the ball. But from now on with goalkeepers only, it will be judged on their last point of contact.
PM/JE
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