Ahead of the 2019/20 season, the Premier League has introduced nine glaring rule changes in the way the league is run, both on and off the pitch.

While teams all over the league will need some time to get used to these changes, we explain the new rules that will be initiated starting this upcoming season:

9. Head-to-head record


This rule states that, "A player can be booked for their celebration even if the goal is disallowed."

Imagine yourself scoring a winning goal in the dying seconds which is then referred to VAR and disallowed. Too much to handle? Now imagine the referee coming to you and showing you a yellow card for celebrating a goal that didn't even count.

Yeah, that's the new rule!

6. Unintended handballs

Ever seen those goals that strike a player's arm with him/her not having any clue about it and the ball ends up in the goal and the referee hands it as a goal deeming it unintentional hand ball?

Well, that won't be happening in the Premier League anymore. The new rule states, "A goal scored directly from the hand/arm (even if accidental) and a player creating a goalscoring opportunity after having gained control of the ball using hand/arm (even if accidental) will no longer be allowed."

5. Goal-kicks

This is definitely the most interesting change in Premier League rules. According to new rules, A goal-kick will now be considered as ball in play from the moment the ball is kicked.

Until now, a goal-kick was supposed to leave the penalty area before being in play. That didn’t used to be an issue as goalkeepers almost always kicked the ball long into midfield where an aerial duel would take place near the halfway line.

However, with teams now growing smarter and starting building up play from defence, like Manchester City and Liverpool, this rule has seen a change.

When a goalkeeper passes out to a defender from a goal-kick and that defender has an opponent pressing them, they could deliberately intercept the ball in the penalty area and effectively buy a restart from the referee.

That will no longer be the case in the new rule. Goalkeepers will now be able to pass to team-mates within the penalty area, thus allowing for a far speedier process of passing out of defence in order to combat the high press.

4. Goalkeeper behaviour for penalties specifically

As per new Premier League rules, the goalkeeper who is readying himself for saving a penalty can no longer touch the goal frame, show no movement before the kick.

Moreover, one part of his boot should always be touching the goal-line when penalty is taken and he cannot be standing behind the line.

The no movement rule will actually be interesting as goalkeepers usually use their own techniques to bluff the penalty taker. However, there is still no certainty as to how will referees be able to single out such moments during a penalty.

3. RIP Drop balls

The age old traditional way of commencing play after a stoppage is finally out of the Premier League now. Having two players wildly aiming kicks while stood 30 centimetres apart was hardly the perfect way of restarting play.

As of next season, the last team to have touched the ball before the stoppage will be given the ball back by the opposition.

The other interesting development is that if play is stopped with the ball in the penalty area, it will restart with the goalkeeper no matter which team had possession.

2. Walls for free-kicks

This new rule clearly states, "When there is a defensive wall of three or more defenders, the attackers are not allowed within one yard of the wall."

This rule is something that was needed because freekicks were becoming a little congested whenever they took place. Most free-kicks in Premier League would see attacking players trying to squeeze in between two defenders, thus causing pushing and shoving as they tried to gain a spot in front of the goalkeeper.

Many of these situations ended in fouls that were allowed to go by officials. The new law will take some getting used to, however it will be interesting to see if it means that lesser shots will be taken from set-pieces in good positions

For example, if you place a three-man defensive wall with no attacking players around it, that leaves plenty of space for players in the penalty area to score from set-pieces. Maybe, this is the beginning of the end of defensive walls from free-kicks in football.

1. Substitutions

In order to stop wastage of time from substitutions that see the winning team gaining advantage of time especially in the dying moments of the game, new Premier League rules state that a player has to leave the game from the nearest outside line from his location on the pitch.

No more walking to the bench from the totally opposite end of the ground.[b][/b]