Premier League 2025/26 New Rules: What’s In, What’s Out, Set-Piece Rule

The Premier League is back for the 2025/26 season, and while the football promises drama as usual, there’s another storyline fans, players, and coaches will have to keep an eye on, a set of new rules that could shape how games are played from the very first whistle.

Liverpool, fresh from lifting the trophy last season, open the campaign at Anfield against Bournemouth. They’ll face competition from familiar rivals Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United, but every team will also be dealing with six significant changes to the rulebook. 

The league says these tweaks are designed to keep matches flowing, reduce unnecessary stoppages, and ensure fair play.

Crackdown on Set-Piece Grappling

Perhaps the most talked-about change is the tighter policing of holding and blocking during set-pieces. Referees have been told to clamp down on players who grab, pull, or impede opponents when the ball is about to be delivered into the box. 

The focus will be on whether the contact clearly prevents a player from going for the ball or is done with no real attempt to play it. VAR will be ready to step in for major incidents, meaning defenders who rely on “shirt-tug tactics” could quickly cost their team penalties.

The Eight-Second Goalkeeper Rule

Goalkeepers now have a maximum of eight seconds to release the ball once they’re in control of it,  whether that’s holding it in their hands, balancing it on a palm, or bouncing it before a kick. 

Referees will even signal when the countdown is running, and failure to release in time will result in an unusual punishment: the opposition gets a corner kick from the nearest side.

Captains take the Lead in Disputes

In a move to prevent heated huddles around referees, only the captain will be allowed to approach the official for explanations on major decisions. Officials will make this clear by pointing to an imaginary captain’s armband. It’s now the captain’s responsibility to pass the referee’s explanation to teammates and keep emotions in check.

Double Touch Rule at Penalties

Players who accidentally strike the ball twice during a penalty will face a new procedure. If the double touch results in a goal, the kick will be retaken. 

If it doesn’t go in, the other team gets an indirect free kick. For deliberate double touches, the restart will always go to the opposition.

Clearer Dropped-Ball Restarts

When play stops in the penalty area, the restart will be a dropped ball to the goalkeeper. If the stoppage happens elsewhere on the pitch, the ball will be given to the side most likely to have had possession at the moment play was halted.

Inadvertent Interference Gets Its Own Rule

If a substitute, coach, or staff member unintentionally disrupts play, the game will resume with an indirect free kick. However, if the interference is judged to be deliberate, the referee can issue cards and, in certain cases, award penalties.