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7 February, 2026, 9:18 am
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7 February, 2026, 9:18 am Central - 24°C Clouds

EPL starts tomorrow with changes in rules

EPL starts tomorrow with changes in rules

By Rashika Kumar
16/08/2024
Source : BBC

The English Premier League begins this weekend, with Manchester City bidding to continue their supremacy in English football and Ipswich making their top-flight return.

Manchester United host Fulham at 7am tomorrow, with matches spread across four days.

Ipswich host Liverpool at 11.30pm tomorrow before Manchester City takes on Chelsea on Monday at 3.30am in the two most eye-catching games of the opening weekend.

Arsenal will be hoping they can finally pip Manchester City to the title as they take on Wolves at Sunday at 2am, while Manchester United are looking to recover from their worst season since 1990.

There will be tweaks to handball, VAR, injury time and other rules.

The video assistant referee system will have a higher bar for intervening than before.

The "referee’s call" means that the VAR should only intervene if they can "see without any doubt the on-pitch official has made a clear mistake".

Otherwise the initial decision will stand.

That means fewer stoppages for marginal decisions to be repeatedly rewatched.

The Premier League Match Centre account, external on social media platform X will post "near-live" explanations of VAR decisions.

We will see a significant drop in stoppage time this season - because of a change in timing goal celebrations.

Until now time was added on for every second between the ball hitting the net and the kick-off being taken.

Now the clock will only be started after 30 seconds. So a game with six goals would have three minutes less of stoppage time.

Away from VAR, attacking players blocking or obstructing opposition players at a set-piece will be penalised more strictly.

The handball law will be relaxed a bit.

Players have been told by the Premier League they do not have to move with their arms rigidly by their sides or behind their backs.

The position of their arm or hand will be judged in relation to the movement of their body.

Source: BBC Sports

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