The 2026-27 football season arrives with one of the most extensive overhauls of the game's laws in recent memory, with a raft of changes targeting time-wasting, substitution delays, and the use of VAR. First trialled at the World Cup this summer, the new rules will be applied across all levels of English football — from Sunday's Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City to grassroots Sunday leagues.

Countdown clocks for throw-ins and goal-kicks

Referees will now actively count down five seconds — using a visible arm movement — against players who deliberately delay restarts. Any tactic judged as disrupting play, such as leaving the ball on a cone or rolling it to a team-mate, can trigger the countdown.

If the five seconds expire, the referee awards the throw-in to the opposition. For goal-kicks, a keeper who takes too long faces an even stiffer penalty: the referee can hand the opposing team a corner instead.

Substitutions: ten seconds to leave

Players being substituted now have just 10 seconds to exit the field at the nearest point. If they fail to comply, the incoming substitute cannot enter for at least one minute — leaving the team with 10 players for that period.