THE Premier League is due to return on June 17, however the coronavirus pandemic means a whole host of temporary changes will be put in place before the action begins.
The comeback has been titled ‘Project Restart’ and is set to come with new rules.
There will not only be tweaks to the format of the Premier League, but also to the way the game is played.
The tweaks come in order to abide by social distancing rules, both in training and during matches and to protect players and staff during this time.
Which measures will be enforced during training?
The Bundesliga has already kicked off and have set their own rules into place with the Premier League following suit.
Prem players will only be allowed to train in groups of five and for an hour at a time. They have to arrive in their training kit and will not have access to the shared changing rooms or shower facilities.
What’s with the talk of ‘neutral playing grounds’ and ‘lockdown hotels’?
Neutral playing grounds have been discussed as a means of playing matches to level the playing field.
Pre-season is important for athletes as they are priming to be ready again for an intense season after a long break.
However, due to the situation with the UK lockdown being eased right now teams may be able to fill contact training sessions again.
Clubs have also discussed putting players in lockdown for six weeks in hotels.
How many substitutes will be allowed?
Due to the limited preparation, players are likely to burn out or sustain more injuries. In preparation for this happening a temporary rule of having more substitutes will be introduced. However, there will only be three windows for those changes to be made, with 16 players in total allowed in the match-day squad, five will be allowed on the bench and all of them are allowed on the pitch at some point.
Will players be allowed to celebrate together?
The customary pre-match handshakes and huddles after scoring goals are unlikely to take place due to the fact the virus could be spread via these instances.
Although, football is a non-contact sport the rough and tumble nature of the Premier League enables it to be. Corners and set pieces are likely to be affected by the rules as players will not be holding onto each other.
How often will players be tested for coronavirus?
All players will be tested and screened repeatedly. The Premier League are paying Hong Kong based company Prenetics around £4 million for 40,000 home testing kits.
Any player who has symptoms must self-isolate for seven days.
Sterilising the ball
The Premier League is starting later than La Liga and the Bundesliga which means they can use their ideas as well.
That include ensuring the matchball will be sterilised at regular intervals after fears being raised about the ball being touched by infected players.
Sex bans and age restrictions
Anyone over the age of 70 are still being told to self isolate according to government rules.
This group will not be allowed to go to games which affects Crystal Palace’s coach Roy Hodgson and Manchester United’s assistant coach Brian Kidd.
Players are also banned from kissing and having sex with their partners if they begin exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus.
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.sportingexcitement.com/football/premier-league/tottenham-eye-transfer-for-atletico-madrid-centre-back-stefan-savic-but-face-competition-from-monaco
