A number of important changes were ratified by teams at a Premier League shareholders meeting yesterday.

Clubs have agreed to revert to three substitutes for the start of the new campaign. The restart had seen the maximum number increase to five in order to accommodate the packed fixture schedule which saw two games being played every week until the end of July.

It had already been accepted that there will be no drinks breaks when the next season kicks off and fans will notice that there will be far fewer stoppages in play as a result.

The final change is related to VAR. All 20 teams have agreed to fully implement FIFA’s rules, meaning referees will be looking at the pitchside monitor on a more regular basis. It also means that goalkeepers will be punished from coming off the line when a penalty is taken.

There will be no adjustments to how VAR deals with offsides, but FIFA are currently investigating ways to improve the offside rule itself which could give more advantage to attackers.