Four new things you must know as 2023/2024 Premier League kicks off on Friday

The 2023/2024 Premier League beckons as last season's champions Manchester City are set to open the campaign in an away fixture against Burnley on Friday, August 11, 2023.

Just as the previous seasons, the Premier League in their effort to improve the game and ensure fair play either amends their rules or add new rules for the new season.

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For the forthcoming season, the offside rule has been amended as well as, timekeeping and fouls while there has been an added UEFA Champions League spot,

Here are four changes to look out for in the new season

Offside

Regarding the offside rule, 'deliberate play' by a defender will not implicate and offside attacker.

A “deliberate play” is when a player has control of the ball and the possibility of:
- passing the ball to a team-mate; or
- gaining possession of the ball; or
- clearing the ball (e.g., by kicking or heading it)

Therefore, inaccurate or unsuccessful action does not change that the defender “deliberately played” the back.

Extra UEFA Champions League spot

The 2024/2025 UEFA Champions League season will have 36 participating teams in a “Swiss league” format.

Hence, additional slots have been added to two countries whose clubs performed better in UEFA competitions in the previous season.

Denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity

Referees will now book players for tackles that caused penalties whether it's an attempt to play the ball or it is “a challenge for the ball”.

The amendment will entice referees to interpret to know a yellow card and a red card offence.

Any other offence aside from the aforementioned will result in a red card. Such circumstances include, holding, pulling, pushing and where there was no possibility to play the ball.

Timekeeping

Stadium timers will not be stopped for in-game events such as, goals and subsequent celebrations, substitutions, injuries and treatment time (if required), penalties (from moment of offence to the whistle for the penalty kick), and red cards (from the moment of offence to when the player leaves the field)

At the end of each half, the wasted time for the aforementioned events will be calculated and added as stoppage time.

EE/KPE