Liverpool faces six new changes to Premier League rules before Ipswich clash

Arne Slot is just a couple of days away from getting his time in charge of Liverpool truly underway as the new Premier League season kicks off .

The 2024/25 campaign officially gets underway on Friday when Manchester United faces Fulham, with Liverpool kicking things off at newly-promoted Ipswich just hours later in the early kick-off on Saturday. Slot will be aiming to get off to the perfect start after an encouraging pre-season on the pitch , even if things have been a little more frustrating off it .

Despite the lack of transfers, the Reds will be expected to challenge at the top end of the table again, having been in the title race until the last few weeks during Jurgen Klopp ’s final season.

READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Clark exit agreed, late Zubimendi offer, Mamardashvili edging closer

READ MORE: Liverpool stance on reviving Martin Zubimendi transfer as Real Sociedad faces contract issue

Ahead of the new campaign, Liverpool has confirmed six new rule changes that have been implemented by the Premier League . Here’s a rundown of what you need to know:

Earlier team news

Team news has traditionally been announced an hour before kick-off over the years. Starting in the new season though, it will now come out 15 minutes earlier (75 minutes before kick-off).

That won’t have too much effect on the Reds, other than Slot needing to name his team slightly earlier than before. Fans will know the team usually finds a way out before the official announcement in any case.

Semi-automated offsides

Possibly the biggest change this season sees semi-automated offside technology being utilized for the first time in the Premier League. It has been a feature in the Champions League already, and was used during Euro 2024.

The system should lead to quicker decisions being made on offside calls by VAR, and hopefully fewer glaring mistakes being made. Incidents like THAT Luis Diaz goal at Tottenham should now be a thing of the past.

The system will not be in place straight away though. The Premier League is expecting it to be in use “from after one of the autumn international breaks.”

The semi-automated system may not be able to rule on all offside decisions either. In the case of the ball being obstructed from the cameras, ‘edge decisions’ or subjective decisions of whether an offside player is interfering with play, VAR intervention and possibly the on-field referee will be called upon.

Added time

The last year or so has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of minutes added in stoppage time as officials try to crack down on timewasting. We may see a significant drop this season though.

Match officials will now only start adding time on after a goal is scored when the delay between the goal and the subsequent kick-off exceeds 30 seconds. The Premier League says this will “allow natural time for both teams to resume their restart positions after each goal.”

Multiball change

Multiball has been a regular feature in the Premier League for a few years now, with its use proving particularly vital after the restart from the Covid pandemic. 15 balls are in use across the pitch in order to speed up the game when the ball goes out of play.

Players can collect a ball from the nearest cone whenever the match ball goes out of play and is not quickly retrievable, ensuring play can get back underway quickly. Now though, ball assistants positioned behind the goal will be allowed to return a ball to the goalkeeper in order to take the restart.

FANTASY FOOTBALL TIPS: Essential picks, bargains and injury news for first games

Substitutes warming up

The number of substitutes allowed to warm up at the same time has now been increased from three to five players per team. This is to correspond with teams being able to make five substitutions at any one time.

The change from three substitutes to five was something former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp fought hard for, despite facing opposition from some of his fellow managers.

PL Match Centre

As part of the new season, a new account has been set up on X to provide near-live explainers and updates on operational and officiating matters. @PLMatchCentre will “post factual explanations of on-pitch refereeing decisions and the involvement of the video assistant referee (VAR) including the role of technology in the decision-making process.”

Live VAR audio will still not be broadcast though, with the Premier League stating it is not permitted in football. That’s despite other sports being able to broadcast what their officials are saying, and the lack of communication proving to be a major frustration for supporters inside stadiums.