Premier League 2024-25 format, VAR rules for relegation and promotion

The new Premier League season is just 4 days away as the 2024/25 kicks off on August 17 with Manchester United taking on Fulham at the Theatre of Dreams, Old Trafford.

The new Premier League season kicks off on August 16 (August 17, according to Indian Standard Time), with Manchester United facing Fulham at Old Trafford, known as the Theatre of Dreams. Competing in England's top flight requires tremendous effort and consistency, as exemplified by the traditional top six teams in the Premier League.

Premier League Format

The league comprises 20 teams, each playing twice across 38 matchweeks. A win earns three points, while a draw awards one point to each team. The team that finishes at the top of the table lifts the trophy.

The top four teams at the end of the season automatically qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stages for the following season. The 5th and 6th place teams qualify for the UEFA Europa League, and the 7th place team secures a spot in the UEFA Conference League.

 

Last season, Manchester City (Champions), Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa secured the Champions League spots, while Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea finished in the Europa League positions. However, 8th placed Manchester United earned a Europa League spot by winning the FA Cup, placing Chelsea in the Conference League.

New Rules and Technology

This season, starting August 16, the Premier League will introduce semi-automated offside checking technology, aimed at speeding up offside decisions via VAR. This technology, which uses multiple cameras and AI to analyse players' movements and body parts, was successfully utilised in the 2022 World Cup and the recent Euros.

Relegation and Promotion

After 38 matchweeks, the bottom three teams are relegated to the English Championship, the second division of English football. In the 2023/24 season, Luton Town, Burnley, and Sheffield United were relegated and will now play in the Championship.

The top two teams in the Championship earn automatic promotion to the Premier League, while the teams placed third to sixth compete in a playoff for the final promotion spot. This season, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton have secured promotion to the Premier League for 2024/25.

No Winter Break

Unlike other European leagues, the Premier League will not have a winter break, leading to a tighter schedule with all weekends in winter being matchweeks. The season starts slightly later than usual to allow players to recover from international events, which means the winter period will see a rapid succession of matches.