The International Football Association Board (IFAB) have updated the Laws of the Game, meaning that from the start of 2019/20, any goalkeeper facing a penalty ought to have at least part of one foot on the goalline or, if jumping, in line with the goalline when a spot-kick is taken. They are also not permitted to stand behind the line.
Referees will not signal for a penalty kick to be taken if the goalkeeper is touching the goalposts, crossbar or net, or if these are moving, for example if a keeper has kicked or shaken them. Meanwhile, players who win penalties and are hurt in the process now have a better chance of being able to take the spot kick they have earned, given they will be able to have quick treatment or an assessment, rather than leaving the field and being unable to do so.
Come the end of the season, if two or more clubs finish level in the table when competing for the title or European qualification, or when relegation is at stake, their records in the head-to-head matches will now be used to separate them.
In previous seasons, teams involved in these specific battles who finished with the same points total, goal difference and number of goals scored would be pitted against each other in a play-off, but that extra match is now less likely. This season, the team who have collected the most points in the head-to-head duels between the sides lying level on points, goal difference and number of goals scored, will take the highest finishing position, while the team with the fewest will take the lowest place. If clubs still cannot be separated, the team who scored the most goals away from home in the head-to-head matches will get the highest position. Only if the clubs remain level after this will a play-off be arranged, at a neutral ground.
As Liverpool and Norwich City kick off the new campaign, they will do so using the new Nike Merlin ball – which is the first bespoke ball of its kind produced solely for England’s top flight and thanks to Nike’s latest innovations, it includes a bigger ‘sweet spot’ and enhanced All Conditions Control (ACC) technology.
There will also be two new regular referees on show, with Andy Madley and Peter Bankes promoted to Select Group 1 by the Professional Game March Officials Limited (PGMOL). Madley, 35, actually officiated two top-flight games last season, one of them being Albion’s home win against Everton in December.
Talking of the festive period, the 2019/20 campaign will be the first to feature a mid-season break, meaning the Premier League will split one round of matches in February 2020 over two weekends, with five matches taking place on the weekend commencing 8th February and the other five on the weekend commencing 15th February. The announcement detailing which fixtures will be played on which of these weekends will be made on or near to 13th December 2019, with all five matches on each weekend broadcast live in the UK.