More Football, Less Timewasting: The New Premier League Rules on Throw-Ins and Goal-Kicks Are Working Analyst

After five matchdays of the 2026-27Premier Leagueseason, we look at the data to see. Not a literal five-second deadline to take them, but from a point where the referee suspects a liberty is being taken, they can start counting down by throwing their hand up in the air like it's the WWE and Stone Cold Steve Austin is struggling to get back into the ring to avoid being counted out.

There was also a new rule for substitutions, whereby if a player takes longer than 10 seconds to get off the pitch, the player coming on must wait an extra 60 seconds before being allowed to enter the play. At the 2026 World Cup, there were four occasions when a goal-kick was turned into a corner after taking too long, while 12 throw-ins were overturned for the same reason.

And there was just one instance of a substitute who had to stay off for 60 seconds.