The Premier League is poised to introduce a new regulation for the 2025/26 season, which will restrict communication with referees during matches exclusively to club captains, according to reports.

Next month, representatives from all 20 Premier League clubs are expected to meet for their annual general meeting, where this rule—already in force across UEFA competitions—is likely to receive formal approval.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) is keen for the Football League to adopt this protocol in alignment with the Premier League. This measure has been part of the game since UEFA EURO 2024 and was subsequently implemented across all three UEFA club tournaments.

According to a report from The Telegraph, officials have broadly welcomed the regulation, as it allows referees to “explain decisions rather than justify decisions” when communicating with team captains.

Discussions between captains and referees will be limited to significant match incidents, while the remaining 20 players on the pitch will still be permitted to interact with the referee and assistants as the game progresses.

In cases where the team captain is the goalkeeper, clubs may nominate an outfield player to act as the designated point of contact with the match officials.

UEFA stated last summer: “This information and accompanying explanations are provided only to the team captains, who are the only players entitled to speak to the referee and request clarifications in a respectful manner.”

They added: “Captains must also take responsibility for their team-mates, asking them to respect the referee, maintain distance, and not surround the match officials.”

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) introduced the regulation in November 2023 to deter players from crowding referees after contentious decisions. Players often receive bookings for dissent when disputing rulings.

Under the new rule, players who contravene this directive will be shown yellow cards.