Harry Diamond
What Rule Changes are coming to the Premier League 2023/24 Season?
Over the last several years, we’ve seen lots of changes coming to football. VAR has been introduced, handball rules have changed several times, concussion substitutions have been introduced, and temporary rules effected over the covid-19 period. And in the 2023/24 season, we will see even more rule changes, some of which will make games quite ‘unusual.’
This is because the FA has brought about several new laws that you can expect to see right from the first game. In fact, they’ve already been introduced in the lower leagues, and they were also in play at the Community Shield game between Manchester City and Arsenal. So what changes can you expect?
We’ll look at them in detail, based on our interview with football and online casino expert, Bernard Maumo from https://livecasinorank.com/countries/. The website helps you identify the best local and international casinos.
More Ball in Play
“This is the biggest change that you’ll notice right from the first game,” says Maumo. The FA now wants to bring ‘play time’ to 90 minutes. The time spent on goal celebrations, substitutions, or injury delays will no longer count as part of the game, as the clock will be pausing every time play stops.
“This means that games will be more like what we saw in the Qatar World Cup, where a game would often run into triple digits. You can expect to see about 7 minutes added to the first half and about 9 in the second half. And if there are more delays within those added minutes, more time will also be added.”
In the Community Shield, we saw Arsenal equalize against City in the 101st minute, and we can expect to see more of that going forward.
Clamping Down on Time-wasting & Goalkeeper Antics
We are used to seeing various tricks used by goalkeepers in an attempt to run down the clock. They are not alone in this though, as in-field players also tend to kick the ball away or take more lengthy throw-ins. Referees will be more keen on this now, even if it’s not done during the final minutes of a game. They will now issue an early warning and yellow cards in subsequent offenses, so you can even see a player sent off for time wasting.
“This also extends to the sportsmanship of goalkeepers, especially when it comes to distracting penalty takers. They will now not be allowed to do unnecessary antics such as delaying the kick or touching the crossbar,” says Maumo.
We see you Emi Martinez.
No More Crowding the Referee
We often see players rushing to the referee to attempt to argue a decision or to try to get a free kick.
“The Premier League is now taking a zero-tolerance approach to this. If a player makes the offense, they will first be warned and then booked for any subsequent offenses. You can therefore expect not to see a player rushing to the referee from a distance, as this will result in a direct card. There will also be fewer players making VAR signs or complaining strongly,” says Maumo.
More Punishments for Managers
Managers becoming irate over decisions (or lack thereof) has become common over the years, and they often rush to the fourth official to make their frustrations heard. However, referees now have the power to deal with angry bosses.
“Mikel Arteta already became the first victim of this new rule as he was carded in the 17th minute during the FA Community Shield match for confronting the fourth official,” notes Maumo.
More “Flow” to the Game
Bernard Maumo, whose website ranks the best international casinos, adds, “The FA also wants to make the games more enjoyable to fans by avoiding too many stop-starts. This is being done through several ways, two of them being the multi-ball system and a higher tolerance for tackles.”
In the multi-ball system, several balls will be placed around the pitch, with a new ball brought in quickly when the ball being used goes out of play. The higher tolerance on tackles for the upcoming season will be a subject of interpretation from the referees, but “we can expect a smoother play without the many stop-starts that we’ve seen in recent years,” adds Maumo.