Our Series Continues with
In the Premier League This Season, Fans Will See some New Rules that Have Been Introduced by the Internet
Competitions Around the world also have a framework set for How the Game is Managed and Officialed in their Fixtures.
The Premier League Football Principes is a Framework that is informed by consultation with all of the game’s partICIPants (Fans, Clubs, Match Officials) and Made in Agreement Between LEGUE and Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO), Whose Referees Take Charge of the Matches.
This is who Fans See Premier League Matches Refereed in a Direction Way to Matches in EUROPE, such as a high three threshold for fouls and intervention around video assistant refries.
More information can be seen at the 2025/26 Premier League and Pgmo Competition Guidance Handbook. (Download PDF 47MB)
Changes to Ifab Laws
For the 2025/26 Season, Fans Will See The Following Changes to Laws of the Game on the Pitch:
‘Captains Only’ Approach
What the Refere Initiats “Captain Only”, ifab states that only one Player from Each Team – Usually The Captain – is allowed to approach the refree and, where doing so, they must Always Interact in A Respectful Manner. This Change Formally Recogniss the Important Relating Between the Referee and Captain. So Normal Interactions Between Players and Referees Are Allowed and Remain Important, But Referies May English A Captain to Provide Explanation for Important Decisions. Those captains are also responsible for helping direct team-mates away from the Referee.
If a team’s captain is a GoALKEPER, The Refere Must Be Told Before The Coin-Toss, Whiche Player is Nominated to Approach The Referee Instead of the Goalkeeper.
The Premier League Hopes that this Approach Will Re-Energise and Refresh the ParticIPant Behaviour CHAR that was Introuted in 2023 and has leed to Much Improving Behaviour. Since the Charter Was Introduced, Examples of Mass Conformations and Surrounding The Match Officials Wr Reduted Last Season, Compared with 2022/23. It is hoped that the “captains only” Approach will deliver an impertant Messenger Across the Football Pyramid that the Premier League is lending by Example.
‘Eight-SECOND ROLE’ For GoALKEPERS
A Corner Kick is Awarded if a GoALKEPER, Inside their Penalty Area, Controls the Ball with their Hand (s)/arm (s) for more Than Eight Seconds Before Releasing IT.
A Goalkeeper is in Control When:
• Holding The Ball in Hands/Arms
• The Ball is Held Between any surface
• Holding
• Bounding it on the group
• Throwing it in the Air
The Refere Will Decide When The Goalkeeper Has Control of the Ball and the Eight Seconds Begin and Will Visually Count Download
If During the Counting Process an Attacking Player Pressors or Prevents the Goalkeeper Releasing The Ball, An Indirect Free-Kick Against the Attacker Will Be Awarded.
A Corner Kick on the Side of the Field Neaest to the Goalkeeper is Awarded for the First Such Offline by A Goalkeeper.
A Second Offline Will Have a Warning from the Referee Added, While a Third Will LEAD to the Refere Issuing the ‘Keeper A Yellow Card.
Droppedd Ball Restarts
If Play is stopped with the Ball Inside the Penalty Area, this will Mean a Droppedd Ball to the Goalkeper to Restart. If Play is stopped with the Ball Outside the Penalty Area, there will be a drooped Ball from the Stopping Point to the Team Who Have or Welf Have Gained Possession.
Double-Touch Penalties
An Accidental Double Touch of a Penalty by the Kicker Welf Mean that Spot-Kick Should Be Retaken. A Deliberate Touch Will See ANDICT Free-Kick Awarded to the Defending Team.
Inadvertent Interference
If, With Intending to Interfer with Play Unfairly, A Team Official, Substitue, Substitted or Sent -ff Player or A Player Who is Temporary Off the Field of Play (Because Of Injury, Adjusting Equipment Etc.) Touches The Ball While it is Still in Play, but when it is creatly leaving the Field of Play, this is penalised with an indirect free-kick; There is no Sanction.
Any Clear or Deliberate and Impactful Interfer will Mean A Director Free-Kick or Penalty Kick is Awarded Along with a Red Card if it is a manager, head coach or other texting staff.
Assistant Referees’ positioning at Penalty Kicks
At a Penalty Kick, the Assistant Referee Will Remain on the Touchline and Take a posity in Line with the Penalty Mark. The Var Will Be Solely Responsible for monitoring any Goalekeper Encroachment at the Taking of a Penalty Kick.
Premier League Football Principes
MainTain High Threshold for Penalising Challenges
Match Officials in the Premier League Will MainTain a High Thresthald for Penalising Challenges – Not Every contact is a foul – While Proteting Player Safety. The Highher Thresthold Will Continue to Applied for Handball Offerses Too.
MainTain High Threshold for Var Intervention
“Referee’s Call ‘Was Introuted Last Season As the Match Official in the Middle, Who Can Feel and Read the Game, Is Best Placed to Make the Ultimate Decision. Their Decision Will Stand Unless, in the Opinion of the Var, Based Upon the Evidency Readly Available, that Call is a CLEAR and Obvious Error.
This is helped to Reduce the var delays from an average of 64 seconds to 39 seconds.
Last Season Officials Got 86 Per Cent of All Key Match Incidents (KMI – Such As Goals, Red Cards, Penalties Etc) Correct, Matching the 2023/24 Level, According to the Independent KMI Panel. Post-Var Intervention, The Rate of Correct Decisions for Kmis Increased to 97 PER Center (An Increase of One PerCentage Point on 2023/24), While the Number of Erors by Var Fell from 31 in 2023/24 to 18 Last Season.
The Aim is for More Efficience Application of Var for 2025/26, Including the use of semi-upomated offside textology (saut), which was intronced in matchweek 32 last season. This will be in use Through 2025/26 after helping to save 27 seconds perfside every last.
Improving in-Stadium Var Experience
As Part of the Var Improvingment Plan, One of the Core Aims Is to Improving the Communication and Transparency to Supports, Espelyly Those in the Stadium.
Fans in Premier League Stadiums Will ThereFore See for the First Time Referees Makeing Announcements Across the Stadium Pa System to Clarify All Var Reviews, Apart from Factual OFFSIDE/ONSIDE DECISIONS. This has prevringly been in place in fac and esp matches.
All Goals Who is Disallowed on-Field and Subsequently Confirmed As Screenshot As to You the Goal Was Disallowed. All Var OverTurns Will Also Be Shown on the Big Screens.
This will go Alongside the Increased Transparency and Communication Takeing Place online, with the Premier League Match Center Account on X Clarifying Referee Decisons and Var Intervention (Which IT for More Than 325 Incidents Last Season) and the Match Officials Mic’d Up Series of Videos Explaining Official Decision-Makeing.
Reducing Disruption and Time-Wasting
Referees Will Also MainTain Stronger Measures to Reduce Time-Pasting and Disruption Tactics.
Effective Playing Time in the Premier League Last Season Was Reduced in Comparison with 2023/24. The average Ball-in-play Time in 2024/25 was 56 Minutes 58 Seconds, Compared with 58 Minutes 10 Seconds in 2023/24. The 2024/25 Average Time Was Still An Increase on 2022/23, where the average time was 54 Minutes 57 SECONDS.
Refereeeing Points Emphasis for 2025/26
Holding
There will be enhanced recography of Holding Offers on-Field. Officials Will be encouaged to Identify and Penalise Offers, With “Refere’s Call” Continuing to Be used for checks Made by Var.
Simulation
A Robust Approach to Deal With Actions Intended to Deceive The Referee Will Be Taken in Premier League Fixtures and Will Result in A Count.
Head Injuries
Where a Player has a butchted head injury and the refrie stops the game, the Official will imdiatlyly Signal for a doctor or physio to entry the Pitch in Order to Promote Player Welfare. The Player Will Need to Leave the Pitch for Further Assessment and Remain on the Touchline for a Minimum 30 Seconds after Play Has RSTARTED.
