Premiership: New Rules Emanates As United Begins Campaign With Victory
The English Premiership clubs and their players are to play under new rules as 2024/2025 league season commenced on Friday.
Manchester United beat Fulham 1-0 in the league opener to start the season on a good note .
Meanwhile, there will be tweaks to handball, VAR and injury time, plus more this football season.
There will also be a display of VAR message on a big screen at a Premier League game. Replays and more detailed explanations on the big screens at games . So, fans at the match are not left out of the loop.
The video assistant referee system will have a higher bar for intervening than before.
The “referee’s call” means that the VAR should only intervene if they can “see without any doubt the on-pitch official has made a clear mistake”.
Otherwise the initial decision will stand. That means fewer stoppages for marginal decisions to be repeatedly rewatched.
The Premier League Match Centre account, external on social media platform X will post “near-live” explanations of VAR decisions.
It plans to show more replays and explain decisions on the big screens in stadiums, too.
We will see a significant drop in stoppage time this season – because of a change in timing goal celebrations.
Until now , time was added on for every second between the ball hitting the net and the kick-off being taken.
Now , the clock will only be started after 30 seconds. So, a game with six goals would have three minutes less of stoppage time.
Away from VAR, attacking players blocking or obstructing opposition players at a set-piece will be penalised more strictly.
The handball law will be relaxed a tad. Players have been told by the Premier League they do not have to move with their arms rigidly by their sides or behind their backs.
The position of their arm or hand will be judged in relation to the movement of their body.
“The guidance to officials this season is less is more. You will see fewer harsh handball penalties.”
Meanwhile, a non-deliberate handball that leads to a penalty will no longer be an automatic booking offence.
During penalties, the ball must be on or hanging over the centre of the penalty spot, rather than at any point on the spot.
“Premier League players will enjoy the short seam length crafted to ensure the deftest of touches on matchday” using the new Nike Flight ball – apparently
Encroachment by players into the box when the penalty is taken will only be penalised if it has an impact.
That means , if an opposition player has an impact on the kicker or prevents a goal or chance from a rebound.
If it is a penalty taker’s team-mate, the encroachment is relevant if they impact or distract the goalkeeper, scores or creates a chance.
Ball boys and girls will be allowed to give a ball to a goalkeeper to take a restart, instead of the keeper having to pick it up off a cone. The multiball system – picking the ball off a cone – will remain for outfield players.
One more tiny change – five substitutes can warm up at the same time on the touchline, up from three.
There will be a new ball this season, the Nike Flight, which is “built with Aerowsculpt technology with grooves debased into the casing, to allow air to travel seamlessly around the ball, delivering truer flight”.