Overview
- The league has published nine confirmed rules that set precise time limits for match events, including a five‑second limit for throw‑ins and goal‑kicks and a 10‑second exit window for substitutes.
- A new goalkeeper treatment rule forces managers to name a temporary one‑player withdrawal within 10 seconds or see the captain removed for 60 seconds, with exceptions for fouls and bleeding.
- Handball on goal‑kicks is clarified so any contact counts as the kick being taken and subsequent touch by another player can trigger a penalty; referees will enforce this to prevent deliberate delays.
- VAR’s remit is broadened to review issued second yellow cards, check for fouls that directly lead to set‑piece goals and correct mistaken identity for the same offence, while it will not review unshown second yellow incidents or wrongly awarded corners.
- The measures follow IFAB and World Cup pilots that showed higher ball‑in‑play time, and the Premier League will monitor fan reaction, referee consistency, tactical workarounds and player welfare as clubs implement the rules.