Aston Villa are among the Premier League clubs to have raised concerns about new rules around injuries and substitutions introduced this season.
Under the changes brought in for the start of the 2026/27 campaign, players who receive medical attention must leave the pitch and wait 60 seconds before returning. This leaves the affected team down to 10 men for at least a minute until they are waved back on following a break in play.
Similarly, if a player takes longer than 10 seconds to leave the field after being substituted, their replacement has to wait for the first break in play after a minute before coming on.
Concerns over referees' judgement
The Daily Mail reports that some top-flight teams, including Villa, have reached out to Pro Ref regarding the use of the new rules. The general sentiment is that referees are not using 'sufficient judgement' to determine when a player is genuinely injured and when one is intentionally trying to waste time.
Decreasing delays within a match and increasing the amount of time the ball is in play has been a focus for decision makers. Alongside the new injury and substitution rules, timers are also in place for goal kicks and throw-ins, all designed to speed up the game.
Match lengths reduced
Premier League bosses are happy with the implementation of the new laws, saying match lengths have been reduced by three minutes and playing time increased by the same amount.
Earlier this week, the Premier League issued an update on the effectiveness of the new initiatives. The statement reads: “New Laws of the Game, introduced at the start of this season, aimed at managing momentum and reducing delaying tactics are already showing a positive impact on effective playing time in the Premier League.
“Up to Match Round 3, the average match length stands at 97min 48secs – compared with 100:45 at the same point last season, while effective playing time has increased to 57:13 from 54:19 when comparing the first three match rounds.
“This shows an increase in the ball-in-play ratio from 53.9 per cent up to 58.5 per cent so far this season.”
