The Premier League has confirmed four significant rule changes that will come into effect from the start of the 2026-27 season, impacting all clubs including Wolverhampton Wanderers. The changes, announced ahead of the new campaign starting in August, cover injury treatment, restarts, substitutions, and VAR reviews.
Injury Treatment
Any player receiving on-field treatment or assessment must now leave the field for a minimum of 60 seconds, doubled from the previous 30-second period. This aims to reduce time-wasting and ensure player safety.
Restarts
Throw-ins and goal kicks will be subject to a five-second countdown. If the time limit is exceeded, the opposing team is awarded the throw-in or a corner for goal kicks, penalising deliberate delays.
Substitutions
Substituted players have a 10-second limit to leave the field. If exceeded, the substitute cannot enter until the first stoppage after one minute has elapsed from the restart, encouraging quicker changes.
VAR Reviews
VAR will now review second yellow card decisions leading to a red card, but only when the referee has already issued the second yellow. The Premier League will not adopt optional laws like reviewing incorrectly awarded corners.
All changes take effect from the 2026-27 season. The fixture list for the new campaign will be released on Friday, June 19.
