The Premier League are set to vote in a new rule next month that will impact the way referees are spoken to by players during games
Comments
Sport
Bruno Fernandes
Only team captains will be able to speak to referee in the Premier League next season
(Image: PA)
The Premier League is set to introduce a new rule for the 2025/26 season, allowing only club captains to converse with referees during matches, according to reports.
In the upcoming month, the 20 Premier League clubs will convene for their annual general meeting where it's expected that this new rule, already in use in UEFA Competitions, will be approved.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the referees' organisation, is eager for the Football League to adopt this new protocol. This rule has been in place in football since Euro 2024 before UEFA applied it across all three club competitions.
A report from The Telegraph has shed light on how officials have generally welcomed the rule, as they now "explain decisions rather than justify decisions" to team captains.
Only significant moments in a match are to be discussed between the two captains. The remaining 20 players can still engage with the referee and assistants during the game, reports Football London.
In the unusual circumstance where the goalkeeper is the captain, clubs can designate an outfield player as their point of communication with the referee.
"This information and accompanying explanations are provided only to the team captains, who are the only players entitled to speak to the referee and request clarifications in a respectful manner," UEFA stated last summer.
"Captains must also take responsibility for their team-mates, asking them to respect the referee, keep their distance and not surround the match officials."
The measure was introduced by IFAB in November 2023 to deter players from crowding the referee following a decision. Players are frequently shown yellow cards for dissent when they disagree with a decision.
Now, those who disregard this new rule will be given yellow cards. Chelsea have accumulated the highest number of yellow cards in the Premier League this season (96) with Manchester United in eighth with 76.
Manchester City have received the lowest number of yellow cards with 56 throughout the league. Pep Guardiola's men have also picked up the joint-lowest red cards with just one.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.