New Premier League rules for the 2026/27 season

The new Premier League rules for the 2026/27 season come in four headline changes: an injured player must stay off the field for at least one minute after play restarts, throw-ins and goal kicks carry a five-second countdown, substitutions have a 10-second limit, and VAR can now review a second yellow card that produced a red. The VAR change is the headline, but it is the least likely to change how a match feels. The five-second countdown and the one-minute injury rule are the pair that will actually change the pace of the game, because they turn time-wasting from a habit into a risk.

Rule	The change	If you break it
Injury treatment	Stay off for at least one minute after play restarts, up from 30 seconds	Team plays temporarily with ten
Throw-ins and goal kicks	Five-second countdown	Delayed throw-in goes to the opposition; delayed goal kick concedes a corner
Substitutions	10 seconds to leave the field	Replacement waits for the first stoppage after a full minute
VAR and second yellows	May review a second yellow that produced a red	Cannot issue a yellow, cannot review a second yellow not given

New Premier League rules 2026/27: the one-minute injury rule

A player receiving on-field treatment or assessment must now leave the field and stay off for at least one minute after play restarts, up from 30 seconds. During that minute the team plays temporarily with ten men. The rule is aimed at feigned injuries, and the arithmetic is the point: a 30-second break used to be a free breather, a way to slow a game down without paying for it. A full minute with ten men is a real cost, and it changes the calculation for any player thinking of going down.

The side effects are worth watching. A keeper injured in the run of play now commits his team to a minute a man short, which makes the goalkeeper protection rules elsewhere on this list more important than ever. And a team chasing the game will think twice about treating a knock, because the clock they once ran down is now running against them.

Five seconds for throw-ins and goal kicks

Throw-ins and goal kicks now carry a five-second countdown. Exceed it and possession reverses: a delayed throw-in goes to the opposition, and a delayed goal kick concedes a corner. This is the rule most likely to produce a howler early in the season, because it punishes the exact behaviour that used to be a free perk. A defender holding the ball while the opposition repositions now risks handing it over, and a keeper dawdling over a goal kick risks a corner against.

For viewers this is the change that will most alter game management. Keepers and full-backs who take pride in slowing matches down are the players it hits hardest, because the countdown removes their margin for error. The added time guide covers how stoppage time attacks the same problem from the other end.

The 10-second substitution limit

A substituted player now has 10 seconds to leave the field. Exceed it and the replacement cannot come on until the first stoppage after a full minute has elapsed. The slow walk off is the oldest time-wasting trick in the book, and this rule targets it directly: the player who saunters to the touchline punishes his own team, because the new man waits. The substitutions guide explains how the five-substitution allowance interacts with the new timing.

VAR and the second yellow

VAR may now review a second yellow card that resulted in a red. What it cannot do is issue a yellow itself, and it cannot review a second yellow that was not given. So the new check is strictly one-way: it exists to confirm or overturn a red card that came from a second booking, and nothing more. It does not turn VAR into a disciplinary engine, and it does not give the video referee the power to punish. The VAR guide sets out the wider review framework this change slots into.

Refereeing points of emphasis

Alongside the law changes, referees have been told to focus on four areas. Hair-pulling is the biggest: a red card for clear, deliberate pulling with excessive force or brutality, and a yellow for lesser incidents. That is a change from 2025/26, when hair-pulling was treated as violent conduct and drew an automatic red. Three players were sent off for it last season, so the downgrade is a real adjustment, and the red card guide covers the sanction framework it sits in.

The other three points of emphasis are quieter but will still surface every week. Defenders holding at corners will face greater focus. Goalkeepers get greater protection, with attackers who make unnecessary contact without a genuine attempt to play the ball penalised. And there is no yellow card for denying a goalscoring opportunity if advantage is played and a goal results.

The goalkeeper injury trial

The goalkeeper injury trial has IFAB approval and runs across the English men's and women's professional game. If play stops for a goalkeeper injury, the manager nominates an outfield player to leave immediately and stay off for one minute after the restart. The exceptions are specific: a free kick awarded for a foul on the keeper that requires immediate treatment, a collision where both players need attention, and a bleeding keeper. Otherwise the outfield player goes, and the team plays a minute a man short so the keeper can be treated properly. It is the strangest rule on the list, and the one managers will game the hardest.

What the new rules mean for FPL managers

For Fantasy Premier League, the defensive contribution points are unchanged for 2026/27. The real trap is the chips. There are eight chips in two sets of four, and the first set must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline at 13:30 GMT on Saturday 2 January 2027, with no carry-over into the second half of the season. Managers who hoard a wildcard past that deadline simply lose it, which makes the January deadline the single most important date on the FPL calendar. The chips guide walks through how the two sets work.

The bonus point system gets three adjustments. Goalkeepers keep +1 BPS for saving a shot from inside the box, the save-from-outside-the-box metric is removed, and a new +1 BPS applies for saving a big chance. Projected bonus points now appear 20 minutes into each match, an official Price Change Predictor tool exists, and up to five free transfers can be rolled. For the scoring detail, the FPL scoring guide has the full breakdown.

FAQ

Can VAR give a second yellow in 2026/27? No. VAR can review a second yellow card that resulted in a red, but it cannot issue a yellow itself, and it cannot review a second yellow that was not given.

What is the new injury rule in the Premier League? A player receiving on-field treatment or assessment must leave the field and stay off for at least one minute after play restarts, up from 30 seconds. The team plays temporarily with ten.

How does the five-second throw-in rule work? Throw-ins and goal kicks carry a five-second countdown. A delayed throw-in goes to the opposition, and a delayed goal kick concedes a corner.

When is the FPL chips deadline for 2026/27? The first set of four chips must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline, 13:30 GMT on Saturday 2 January 2027, and cannot be carried over.

Key takeaways

• A player receiving on-field treatment must stay off for at least one minute after play restarts, up from 30 seconds, with the team playing temporarily with ten.
• Throw-ins and goal kicks have a five-second countdown: a delayed throw-in goes to the opposition, a delayed goal kick concedes a corner.
• VAR can now review a second yellow that produced a red, but cannot issue yellows or review second yellows not given.
• Hair-pulling is no longer an automatic red: clear deliberate pulling with excessive force or brutality is red, lesser incidents are yellow, a change after three sendings-off last season.
• For FPL, the new Premier League rules 2026/27 matter most in the chips rule: the first set of four must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline on 2 January 2027.