Premier League 2022-23 Season Review: What Rules Decided It
By Arasi Rex · Updated 15 August 2026 · 6 min read
A Premier League 2022-23 season review is a reading of the table through the league's own rules, not just a list of results. Behind every position sits a fixed structure: 20 clubs, 38 matches each, 380 total, with three points for a win and one for a draw. Get the mechanism right and the review starts to explain itself.
The mechanism/detail of the 2022-23 season review
Every club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away. That is the 38-match season. The league calendar therefore produces 380 matches in total, and the table is not a narrative. It is a function of points. A win is rewarded with three points and a draw with one. From there, the order of tiebreakers is fixed: points, goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head record. If two or more clubs cannot be separated by any of those, and the position matters for the title, relegation, or European qualification, a play-off at a neutral venue may be used.
The table has real consequences at both ends. The bottom three are relegated to the Championship. They are replaced by three clubs from the Championship: two automatic promotions and one via the play-off. At the top, European places follow a typical structure: the top four go into the Champions League league phase, fifth and the FA Cup winner go into the Europa League, and the League Cup winner goes into the Conference League play-off. If a cup winner has already qualified through the league, the place passes down. There are also additional Champions League places earned through UEFA coefficient performance.
| Position or winner | Consequence |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | Champions League league phase |
| 5 | Europa League |
| FA Cup winner | Europa League, unless already qualified |
| League Cup winner | Conference League play-off, unless already qualified |
| 18-20 | Relegated to Championship |
History/evolution: why the 2022-23 season review looks this way
To read the 2022-23 season review correctly, place it in the history of the competition. The Premier League was founded on 20 February 1992 as the FA Premier League, when First Division clubs broke away to negotiate their own broadcast deals. That breakaway is the reason the top flight has its own commercial identity and its own name. The first season, 1992/93, was not played with 20 clubs. It had 22 clubs. The league was reduced to 20 clubs in 1995/96, and that 20-club, 38-match structure is the one a 2022-23 review uses.
Understanding that history helps readers avoid the common mistake of treating the Premier League as eternal. The 2022-23 season belongs to the modern era that began in 1995/96. Since then, the fixture list, the relegation places, and the basic arithmetic of the table have remained stable. That stability makes a season review easier: the rules are known before any ball is kicked.
Edge cases/common confusions in the 2022-23 season review
Most confusion in a season review comes from edge cases. The first is tiebreakers. The order is points, goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head record. Many fans assume head-to-head comes first, or that a play-off is automatic for any tied position. The play-off is a fallback, not a first resort, and it applies only if the tied position decides the title, relegation, or European qualification. A tied mid-table finish with nothing at stake ends with the tiebreaker order.
Second, squad rules shape what a season review can say. The 25-player squad list covers players over 21, and at least eight of those must be homegrown. Homegrown means trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21. Under-21 players do not count against the 25. A review that asks why a player was left out needs to remember the squad limit and the homegrown quota.
Third, substitutions. Five substitutions are allowed per match, made in a maximum of three windows plus half-time. That is not five separate stoppages. This matters when a review describes a manager changing a game. The old idea of three substitutions no longer applies.
Fourth, FPL scoring is not a league rule, but it is a common lens for reviewing player seasons. FPL uses a 15-player squad, 11 starters, a £100.0m budget, and a maximum of three players per club. Goals are worth 6 for a goalkeeper or defender, 5 for a midfielder, 4 for a forward. Assists are worth 3. Clean sheets are worth 4 for a goalkeeper or defender and 1 for a midfielder. A captain scores double, and a transfer beyond the free allowance costs -4. When a season review turns to player output, FPL data shapes how many fans perceive a season.
Finally, the European picture is rarely final when the league pauses. Cup winners who have already qualified through the league pass their place down. A season review should not describe the European list as complete until cup places are resolved. A Premier League 2022-23 season review that ignores these rules is not a review. It is a list. The structure, the history, and the edge cases tell you what the table actually says.
Key takeaways
- 20 clubs, each playing 38 matches home and away, produces 380 matches per season.
- Tiebreakers are points, goal difference, goals scored, then head-to-head; a neutral play-off is the last resort.
- The bottom three are relegated; two clubs are promoted automatically and one via the Championship play-off.
- Top four enter the Champions League league phase; fifth and the FA Cup winner enter the Europa League; the League Cup winner enters the Conference League play-off.
- Five substitutions are allowed per match in three windows plus half-time, and the 25-man squad must include at least eight homegrown players.
FAQ
How many matches does each Premier League club play in a season?
Each club plays 38 matches, one home and one away against the other 19 clubs. That makes 380 matches in total.
What happens if two clubs finish level on points?
The first tiebreaker is goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head record. If they are still level and the position decides the title, relegation, or European qualification, a play-off at a neutral venue may be used.
How many substitutes are allowed in the Premier League?
Five substitutions are allowed per team per match, in a maximum of three windows plus half-time.
Does the homegrown rule affect the 25-man squad?
Yes. The 25-player squad list must include at least eight homegrown players, defined as trained in England or Wales for three years before turning 21. Under-21 players do not count against the 25.