Only captains will be allowed to approach referees during Premier League matches from next season.
The top flight is set to adopt new guidelines – approved by the game’s law-makers, the International Football Association Board ,IFAB, in March that state only one player from each team, usually the captain, is allowed the approach the match official.
Under the regulations, referees can instruct players not to approach them, and show yellow cards to those who do so without permission and behave in a disrespectful manner.
In the event that a team’s captain is a goalkeeper, clubs will provide an alternative representative before kick-off.
This does not, though, prevent players from speaking to referees at other points during games.
The initiative has been used in all three UEFA club competitions this season as part of a trial process following its introduction at Euro 2024 last summer.
Although Premier League clubs are still being consulted, the rules are expected to be ratified at the Premier League annual general meeting next month and introduced at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
IFAB will include the guidance in the 2025-26 Laws of the Game, effective from July 1, 2025.