What's new in the 2022/23 Premier League season?

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22 Jun 2022

The new Premier League season is not far away and it's set to be a season like no other, with rule changes, new kit and the small matter of a winter World Cup to look forward to - find out all the key information below!

A Christmas break...

It’s set to be a season like no other, and there’s a major reason why: the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

For the first time ever, the world’s biggest sporting occasion will take place over winter to account for the extreme heat in the host nation – and that will have huge knock-on effects within the Premier League.

To accommodate, the league is starting earlier than in previous years, with Palace’s first fixture on Friday, 5th August against Arsenal at Selhurst Park.

There is just one international break before the World Cup starts, with England playing their final UEFA Nations League fixtures in mid-September.

The World Cup itself starts in November, meaning Palace’s trip to Nottingham Forest on 12th November will be their last in the league for six weeks.

The World Cup final takes place on Sunday, 18th December, with Marc Guéhi, Joachim Andersen, Jordan Ayew and more in contention to feature in the competition.

The Premier League returns on Boxing Day as the Eagles host Fulham. The traditional 28th/29th December fixtures have been scrapped to ease the transition back into domestic football, but the New Years’ Day matches remain.

The season concludes on Sunday, 28th May as Palace welcome Forest to Selhurst Park, before the FA Cup final a week later on Saturday, 3rd June.

Five subs

After being trialled in the behind-closed-doors matches during the COVID-19 pandemic, five substitutes has now become Premier League law.

Last season, the Premier League was an outlier in its commitment to a maximum of three substitutes, with the FA Cup and Champions League continuing to allow five per side.

Expect plenty of rotation this season as five substitutions makes its way into the English top-flight.

The next generation

From the start of the 2022/23 season, the Premier League 2 – which was previously contested by Under-23s sides – will become an Under-21s competition.

As a Category 1 Academy, Crystal Palace will continue to compete with the best sides in the country including Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool.

The change comes as part of an ongoing review of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), the strategy which aims to best develop young players within the English game, and means that youth football better aligns with other international competitions.

However, those over the age limit can still participate. Previously three outfield players and one goalkeeper over the limit could feature, as was seen across the board as senior players gained valuable minutes on their return from injury.

This has been expanded, and now up to five over-age outfield players and one goalkeeper can take part.

New balls, please

It wouldn’t be the start of a new season without a new Premier League ball, would it?

The new ‘Nike Flight’ ball was released last week, and is inspired by the ball from the competition’s first season 30 years ago.

Keep an eye out for...

We’re getting into the minutiae here, but keep an eye out for a slight tweak to the rules surrounding penalties.

While last season goalkeepers were required to have at least one foot on the line when a spot-kick was taken, they can now have one foot behind the line if they desire.

This means ‘keepers can start from a deeper position and push off towards the ball as they attempt to keep the penalty out.

Looking forward to the 2022/23 season? Make sure you have all the key dates in your diary by clicking HERE.

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