Premier League fans will see a number of changes to how matches are officiated from the 2026/27 season, with new measures introduced to tackle time-wasting, delays and tactical disruption while also changing the way referees and VARs handle some incidents.
The changes follow amendments to the Laws of the Game by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body responsible for football’s laws, alongside the Premier League’s own refereeing principles agreed with Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
The Premier League says its approach will continue to maintain a relatively high threshold for awarding fouls, meaning not every instance of contact between players will be penalised. Player safety, however, will remain a priority.
VAR intervention will also continue to operate under a high threshold, with the referee’s original decision standing unless the VAR believes there is clear and obvious evidence that an error has been made. The League said it will also seek to make VAR more efficient, including through greater use of semi-automated offside technology, in an effort to reduce delays and improve the experience for supporters inside stadiums.
One of the most noticeable changes concerns players who leave the pitch because of an injury. Under the new rule, when play is stopped for an injury, the affected player will have to remain off the field for at least one minute before returning. This increases the previous Premier League period of 30 seconds.There will also be stricter measures around throw-ins and goal-kicks.
Referees will use a five-second countdown when a player clearly delays the restart. If the time limit is exceeded, possession will be awarded to the opposing team. In the case of a delayed goal-kick, the opposition will instead be awarded a corner.
Substitutions will also be subject to a new time limit. Players being replaced will have 10 seconds to leave the pitch. If they take longer, the incoming substitute will not be allowed to enter until the first stoppage after one minute has passed.
Another significant change involves second yellow cards. VARs will now be able to review a second-yellow-card decision when it results in a red card, but only in cases where the second yellow card is clearly wrong. The system will not be used to determine whether an incident should have resulted in a second yellow in the first place.
The Premier League will also trial a new measure aimed at preventing goalkeeper injuries from being used to disrupt the flow of matches. When play is stopped because of a goalkeeper injury, the manager or head coach will be required to nominate an outfield player to leave the pitch immediately. That player must remain off the field for at least one minute after play resumes.
According to Pro Ref, the trial is intended to address situations where goalkeeper injuries could be used to slow the game, disrupt an opponent’s momentum or create an opportunity for tactical instructions from the touchline.
Despite the changes, not every new option introduced by IFAB will be adopted in the Premier League.
The League will not expand VAR’s remit to allow reviews of incorrectly awarded corners. It will also maintain its existing protocol for drinks breaks, which are used when temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius at kick-off.
The Premier League will likewise retain its existing three-step discrimination protocol for abuse reported by players, rather than adopting the new red-card protocol relating to players covering their mouths.
There will also be no change allowing VAR to overturn a yellow card for diving except where the review is required to establish mistaken identity. Under the IFAB clarification, a caution that is not a second yellow can be reviewed only to determine whether the correct player was punished; the underlying offence itself cannot be overturned through VAR.
The changes form part of the Premier League’s wider refereeing framework for the 2026/27 campaign, with the League saying it will continue to focus on participant behaviour, reducing time-wasting and disruption, improving the use of VAR and maintaining consistency in the application of the Laws of the Game.
For Premier League clubs and supporters, the changes mean that seemingly minor delays, from taking too long over a throw-in to a substitute refusing to leave quickly, could now have more immediate consequences during matches.
