Premier League introduces rule change affects Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool

Football enthusiasts can now get a sneak peek at their team's starting line-up earlier than ever, thanks to a new Premier League rule change.

For years, clubs have traditionally revealed their matchday squads just an hour before kick-off. But that embargo has been lifted in a significant shift by the league's governing body as the new season kicks off.

Even though clubs often submit an official team sheet to the Premier League well before kick-off, they were only permitted to announce the news 60 minutes prior. The rule change means that top-tier teams will now gain an extra 15 minutes and can release their lineup 75 minutes before kick-off, relaxing the previous one-hour rule for this season.

Teams like Manchester United , Chelsea and Liverpool will now need to publish their matchday XI and substitutes earlier than before, giving managers less time for last-minute changes. This means that for any club playing at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, the team sheets will now be public by 1.45pm.

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Typically, a club's manager would prefer to keep their team selection under wraps for as long as possible to avoid giving their opponents any competitive advantage. However, this significant change aligns the Premier League with UEFA, whose competitions also follow the 75-minute rule.

The latest edition of the Premier League handbook has set a new standard, mandating that all matchday squads must be submitted "at least 75 minutes before the time fixed for the kick-off of a league match". This change isn't just impacting the teams in the Premier League; it's also shaking things up for fantasy football enthusiasts who now have to lock in their line-ups an hour before the game starts.

According to the current Premier League regulations, there's a comprehensive checklist that needs to be followed prior to every match. Rule L.23 outlines that "A representative of each participating Club shall submit a team sheet by such method as approved by the Board containing the following particulars: L.23.1. the shirt numbers and names of its Players (including substitute Players) who are to take part in that League Match."

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The rulebook goes on to detail: "L.23.2. the colour of the Strip to be worn by its Players, including the goalkeeper; and L.23.3. the names and job titles of up to seven Officials who will occupy the trainer's bench during that League Match." Furthermore, "L.24. At least 60 minutes before the time fixed for the kick-off of a League Match, the Manager or a senior member of the coaching staff listed in Rule L.23.3 of each participating Club shall attend a briefing with the referee."

However, the Premier League will now align with most of Europe by implementing this rule change. The 75-minute rule has been standard in European competition for years, with teams like Real Madrid often choosing to announce their starting XI early, even doing so two hours before kick-off for last season's Champions League final.

The new rule will be effective from the start of the new Premier League season, which kicks off on Friday with Manchester United hosting Fulham at Old Trafford.

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