With the [26/27 Premier League season now underway](https://www.balls.ie/search?q=Premier%20League), there are [several new rules being introduced.](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4688755/whats-new-in-202627-laws-of-the-game) A tactic we are all too familiar with is time-wasting. The new rules are aimed at avoiding time-wasting in order to maximise the amount of football actually played during each match.
**Read more on the Premier League**
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Refereeing "Key Points Of Emphasis"
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Premier League Football Principles – Season 2026/27
Maintain high threshold for penalising challenges – not every contact is a foul – while protecting player safety
Maintain a high threshold for VAR intervention – "Referee’s Call" will stand unless, in the opinion of the VAR, based upon the evidence readily available, that a call is a clear and obvious error
More efficient application of VAR, including the improved use of semi-automated offside technology, to reduce VAR delays
Continue to focus on in-stadium VAR experience
Continue a robust approach to improving participant behaviour on-field and in the technical area
Maintain stronger measures to reduce time-wasting and disruption tactics
Goal Kicks and Throw-ins Against The Clock
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The first new law introduced is targeting deliberately delayed restarts. To tackle these delays, a referee "countdown" has been introduced.
The "countdown" will begin when the ref deems a player to be deliberately time-wasting. From that point, the player will have five seconds, and if they run out of time, the ball will be given to the opposing team.
The move could prove particularly poignant from goal kicks, which often see time-wasting at the end of a game. If the keeper is deemed to be deliberately delaying the restart, a corner against him will be given.
"Tactical Time Out" No More In The Prem
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The "Tactical Timeout" has become a popular way for teams to gain an advantage over their opposition. It sees goalkeepers feigning injuries for the coaches to talk with their players, or to halt opposition momentum. The new rules are looking to tackle this phenomenon in an interesting way.
If a goalkeeper asks for treatment in the 26/27 season, his team must take one player off. There is a 10-second time limit to tell the 4th official who is coming off; otherwise it is the captain.
10 Second Substitutes In The Prem
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Substituted players will now have only 10 seconds to get off the pitch. Should they fail to leave in time, the new player cannot enter the pitch for at least one minute, forcing the team to play for 10 men.
After the minute is up, the substitute still cannot enter the pitch until a break in play. This means that theoretically a team could be down a man for several minutes.
Obviously, these rules do not apply if a player is injured, or if there are security concerns about where they can/cannot go off.
Injured Players Must Be Off For One Minute
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In the seasons prior to 26/27, injured players had to stay off the pitch for 30 seconds after going down. Given the amount of players exploiting this, the time has been upped to one minute.
Additionally, a player no longer has to request treatment for the ref to stop the game. Now if any player forces the ref to pause the game, they will be forced to spend a minute on the sideline.
There is one notable exception to the rule. If the player who committed the foul gets a yellow or red card, the injured does not need to step off the pitch in any circumstances.
VAR For Second Yellows
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A VAR review has been brought in for when players receive a clearly wrong second yellow card. There will not be a VAR review for a potential second yellow, but rather a clear error which has led to an unjust sending-off.