The Premier League has confirmed as many as eight major rule changes as we approach the beginning of the 2022/23 season.
Manchester United begin their campaign on Sunday when they take on Brighton and Hove Albion in a lunch-time kick-off, which will be Erik ten Hag’s competitive debut as the club’s manager.
However, there are eight rules that have been introduced that may alter your match-viewing experience.
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Here’s a list of all these changes for the 2022-23 Premier League season:
Five Substitutes:
It’s back!
Managers can now make five substitutes in a game after an agreement on this subject was reached at a summer meeting between all clubs.
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All five changes can be made during three occasions in a game, with an additional opportunity at half-time.
Managers can now also name nine substitutes on the bench, which is increased from seven back in the 2021/22 season.
Multiball system:
Time-wasting due to the ball going outside of play is the most common issue in football. The Premier League tried a new system when football was being played behind closed doors.
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This means, a total of 10 balls will be used, one on the pitch, one with the fourth official and the rest of the eight balls positioned around the length of the pitch so that the game flows in the smoothest manner without breaks due to human error.
New referees:
As many as four new referees have been introduced in the Premier League this season.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) have handed match referee status to Tom Bramall, Natalie Aspinall, Nick Greenhalgh and Steve Meredith.
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Moreover, the general referees you surely know like Mike Dean, Kevin Friend, Jon Moss and Martin Atkinson have new roles and will not be refereeing Premier League fixture.
Penalty rule:
The IFAB Laws of the Game have amended the rule for goalkeeper’s positioning for a penalty kick.
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This means that now, when the ball is kicked, the keeper must have at least part of one foot touching, or in line, or behind the goal line. The law still requires a keeper to have at least part of one foot on or above the line until the exact moment a penalty is taken. This means, a goalkeeper will not be allowed to stand behind or in front of the goal line.
Match postponements:
If a club has an insufficient number of players, club requests to the board will continue to be considered on their facts and assessed on a case-by-case basis. Approval to postpone games will only be granted in exceptional cases.
Offside rule change:
IFAB has made some changes to the offside rule and explained that now, an offside player will not automatically become onside upon a defender touching the ball.
The guideline states, “Deliberate play is when a player has control of the ball with the possibility of passing the ball to a team-mate, gaining possession of the ball, or clearing the ball.
“If a pass, attempt to gain possession or clearance by the player in control of the ball is inaccurate or unsuccessful, this does not negate the fact that the player deliberately played the ball.”
No room for racism:
The club captains have decided to use specific moments during the season to take the knee, rather than before every single game. This will include during the opening game week.
This will also be done during the ‘No Room for Racism’ match rounds in October and March, Boxing Day fixtures and the final day of the 2022-23 season.
Mid-season break:
Obviously, this season will have a one month break from 12/13 November and will resume on Boxing Day, December 26. This is due to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, Football
Mudeet Arora