The Premier League will release its 2026-27 fixtures at 10:00 BST on Friday – an hour later than previous years – as the season is pushed back because of the World Cup. The new campaign starts on Saturday, 22 August, 34 days after the World Cup final in the United States, and ends on Sunday, 30 May 2027.
To accommodate the later start, the league is merging September’s and October’s international breaks into one three-week hiatus after the weekend of 19/20 September, with no Premier League matches between then and 10/11 October. That longer autumn break will remain in place until at least the 2030-31 season.
“Premier League fixtures released an hour later on Friday due to World Cup 2026, and hair-pulling red cards will be relaxed.”
Meanwhile, referees will change how they judge hair pulling next season after three players were sent off for the offence in 2025-26 – all via VAR intervention. Everton’s Michael Keane, Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez and Sunderland’s Dan Ballard were dismissed for pulling hair, as was Stockport County’s Josh Dacres-Cogley in the League One play-off final.
The red cards drew fierce criticism. Manchester United boss Michael Carrick called Martinez’s sending-off “one of worst decisions I’ve seen”, while Everton manager David Moyes said Keane had been banned for “absolutely nothing”.
From next season, not every hair pull will be a red card. Officials will look for a “clear and deliberate action” with “excessive force and/or brutality” – a test that would likely still see Keane sent off, but reduce Ballard and Dacres-Cogley to yellow cards. Martinez’s case is considered borderline. The VAR cannot intervene for bookings.
The changes, agreed at the Premier League AGM after consultation with the game improvement advisory group, also include an enhanced focus on grappling and holding inside the area, which blighted corners and set-pieces last season. A solution to stop the goalkeeper “tactical timeout” is also set to be introduced.
During the festive period, no two rounds of matches will take place within 60 hours of each other, honouring commitments to ease the congested schedule.