First glimpse of new substitution crackdown set to impact top‑flight teams this season – but what are the new rules in the 2026/27 Premier League?
By Ben Southby
Published 07/08/2026 at 23:15 GMT+1
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The new 10-second substitution rule is just one of a number of new laws that will be introduced to the game as the 2026/27 season gets underway. The rule, which was successfully used at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, was enforced during Middlesbrough's first-round Carabao Cup win over Wrexham on Friday.
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Striker Will Lankshear took too long to leave the pitch, which led to a delayed entrance for Fin Cartwright.
The idea behind the change is to prevent managers from slowing down the pace of play with substitutions in the late stages when their team is holding onto a favourable result and to stop players from slowly trudging off the pitch.
But now players being substituted - including in the Premier League - will have 10 seconds to leave the pitch when their number is shown on the fourth official's board.
Similarly to the previous rule in place, players must also exit at the nearest possible point.
Should a player fail to leave the field of play within the strict allotted time, their team will have to play with 10 players for the next minute.
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They can only introduce the incoming substitute during the first natural stoppage after that minute has elapsed, meaning teams could be at a disadvantage when holding on to a late lead.
The rule will be implemented across not only the Premier League but the entire English Football League as well as the Women's Super League and as far down as the National League.
What are the new rules?
This gives us the chance to preview all the new rule changes and additions ahead of the beginning of the 2026/27 campaign.
Goalkeepers have long been excluded from the rule that says players must leave the field of play after being treated for an injury.
However, this is no longer the case, and goalkeepers will have to leave the pitch unless they have suffered a direct collision or a serious issue.
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Robert Sanchez suffers a serious collision against Nottingham Forest.
Image credit: Getty Images
Pro Ref hopes that the change will prevent "disrupting momentum, slowing the game down or creating opportunities for tactical instruction."
The amount of time an outfield player must leave the pitch has also been increased from a minimum of 30 seconds to a minimum of 60 seconds.
Throw-ins and goal kicks will also come with a five-second countdown and, if players fail to meet the time limit, there will be a potential reversal of possession to the opposition team.
Perhaps the biggest change is VAR's ability to review second yellow card incidents. They will not be able to step in for first yellow cards but they can review second bookable offenses, though the threshold will remain high.
It is worth noting that they can only overturn a second caution leading to a red card and cannot recommend a potential yellow card which would result in a sending-off.
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