The Premier League kicks off its 2025-26 campaign on Friday, August 15, with reigning champions Liverpool taking on Bournemouth at Anfield. Alongside the season opener, the league unveiled several rule changes, including new protocols for VAR and on-field procedures.
One of the biggest changes involves goalkeepers. Once a keeper gains control of the ball in their hands, they now have eight seconds to release it. Failure to do so will result in a corner kick for the opposing team.
Previously, goalkeepers were required to release the ball within six seconds or face a free-kick inside the box—a rule rarely enforced in recent years. The new eight-second window includes a clear enforcement process, ensuring referees can consistently apply the rule.
Testing of this rule took place during the 2024-25 season in Premier League 2, as well as in Malta and Italy. Out of more than 400 matches, only three corners were awarded under the new rule—three in England and none in Malta, according to ESPN. The rule was also used during the 2025 Club World Cup, resulting in two corner kicks across 62 matches.
VAR updates: Fan communication comes first
The Premier League is also changing how VAR interacts with fans. Similar to the NFL and NBA, referees will now explain their VAR decisions over stadium loudspeakers, giving fans a real-time understanding of each call.
Another change, separate from VAR but also related to in-game communication, concerns player interactions with referees. From now on, only team captains will be allowed to speak with the referee about decisions during the match.
Penalty kick adjustments
Another update addresses penalty kick procedures. Following an incident in the UEFA Champions League where Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez converted a penalty against Real Madrid but touched the ball twice—leading to the goal being disallowed—new rules now state that if a player touches the ball twice on a successful penalty, the kick must be retaken.
This new guideline was applied recently in the Euro Women’s Cup final between Spain and England. When Beth Mead slipped and touched the ball twice before scoring, the VAR intervened, and on her retake, the Spanish goalkeeper stopped the penalty.