Five Premier League Updates for 2023/24

The 2023-24 Premier League kicked off on August 11. With much of the action already underway, Manchester City will be looking to defend their title and become the first team in EPL history to win the trophy four times in a row. Meanwhile, other treble and double winners are unlikely to sit around and let this happen. So the season is ripe for some aggressive competition. Here are five updates to help you keep up with the action even as we head into week two of the season. 

 

The Mid-Season Player Break Is Back

The mid-season player break was introduced during the 2019-20 season and is back for 2023/24 for the first time since the pandemic. The two-week break is designed to ensure EPL games are still played every weekend during the break. This year, ten matches will be divided between the January 13-14 and 20-21 weekends. The FA will reschedule the fifth-round ties to the middle of the week and scrap the round replays from the calendar to make room for the break.

 

West Ham United to Welcome Luton Town to EPL

Luton Town were promoted from the Championship last season and will play in the Premier League this year. They are the first new club to enter the EPL since 2021/22 when Brentford joined, and fans can use the 1xBet registration to see their new standings as an EPL team. On September 1, Luton Town will make their debut in an 8 pm kick-off against West Ham United.

 

New Match Officials

The new season will see new officials enter the League following promotions by PGMOL. These include Darren Bond, Tim Robinson, and Akil Howson. In line with PGMOL’s newly-formed Development Group, Howson was chosen from officials from the Elite Referee Development Plan (ERDP), which has 30 percent Black, Asian, or Mixed Heritage membership. 

 

New Shirt Designs

The League’s official sleeve badge, number, and name supplier has announced new designs for EPL shirts. Avery Dennison revealed updated embellishments and fonts in the fourth redesign in League history. This season, the shorts will feature a “taller” number and improved font for the Premier League graphic pattern, designed for increased visibility.

 

New IFAB Guidelines

Premier League games in 2023-24 will also conform to the latest IFAB guidance on offside decisions, timekeeping, and denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, among other things. Stadium timers will continue running throughout each half of a game and include additional time, injuries and treatment times, goals and celebration times, and more. This move will allow for more accurate additional time calculations and more ball-in-play time. 

 

Wrapping Up         

Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal are gearing up to give Manchester City a run for their money. Teams lower in the standings will also fight to stay in the League in 2024-25. Overall, everyone has their assignments and, going by last week's moment, is ready to get on with it.