Off the Pitch

Reporting abuse

As part of creating a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere, we encourage everyone to challenge and report abusive behaviour wherever they find it, in stadiums or online.

But please use official channels and be careful not to put yourself, or others, in harm's way.

There are different ways you can report abusive behaviour, at a match or online:

At a match

If you are affected by an incident, or witness abuse, at a match, where possible it’s best to report this at the time so positive action can be taken.

The stewards can provide immediate assistance or are able to contact quickly the stadium control room, which is staffed by senior safety officials and the police.

Stewards, who can be clearly identified by their fluorescent jackets, are located at the front or rear of seating blocks, by the entrances to stands and stairwells.

Some stadiums also offer a reporting phone or text line. These details will be advertised in and around the stadium, on club websites and in match programmes.

Online

The Premier League partners with Kick It Out, football’s foremost equality organisation.

You can submit information on incidents at matchdays or online using Kick It Out’s Report It! app (download the iOS app or Android app).

Or you can use Kick It Out's website reporting form. 

Details are always passed directly to clubs or the relevant body for further investigation.

A Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) is employed by a club as a point of contact for fans. They help to communicate fans’ opinions and ideas to club staff, and vice versa, often through supporter meetings and events. Contact a club to get in touch with an SLO, or email supporters@premierleague.com for further assistance.

The Independent Football Ombudsman (IFO) was established to receive and adjudicate on complaints which have failed to be resolved by clubs or the football authorities.

The IFO can adjudicate on complaints that have been raised with the relevant club or football authority but have not been resolved at an earlier stage.

Fans who are dissatisfied with an initial response they receive can escalate their complaint to the Ombudsman for further review. The Ombudsman provides an alternative dispute resolution service, separate from the legal process. For further information, or to the contact the IFO, visit www.theifo.co.uk

The majority of supporter complaints, particularly where they relate to consumer affairs (e.g.: ticket or retail sales, matchday experience or stadium sanctions and bans) are applicable in the first instance to the relevant club. complaint handling processes. If you believe your complaint is applicable to the Premier League, or would like guidance on where best to raise it, please contact: info@premierleague.com

Prior to contacting the IFO, the Premier League is also available to mediate between a complainant and a club to help achieve a positive resolution. This includes guidance on the relevance of any Premier League competition Rules in relation to a specific complaint or query. For further information or guidance on this process, please contact: info@premierleague.com

The Premier League Handbook is the competition Rules for the Premier League.

It covers all aspects of how clubs operate. Some examples are club finances, the transfer of players and registrations, kit design, and ticket allocations for visiting fans.

The Handbook is updated ahead of each new season. Any major Rule changes require the approval of at least 14 out of 20 clubs. In this respect the Premier League works by self-regulation and the Handbook is a contract for how clubs wish to behave towards one another, and their fans.

The January 2024 transfer window opened on the 1st of January 2024 and closes on 1st of February 2024 23:00 GMT.

During the 2022/23 seasons, all clubs had the ability to register new players to be eligible for Matchweek 19, which started on 2 January 2023, as long as they submitted the required completed documents by midday of the last working day before their match in that round. 1-2 January 2023 were considered as working days.

Transfer of players from another national association may have taken place once the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) is active.

Parachute payments are made to clubs after they are relegated from the Premier League.

They allow clubs to invest in their teams, and wider operations, in the knowledge that should they be relegated they have provisions in place to re-adjust their finances.

Since 2016/17, payments are made over three years, with the amount received decreasing after each year.

In addition to Company Law, the Premier League has its own Rules relating to club finances, accounting and good governance.

The Premier League, Football League and UEFA each has its own regulations governing club finances. The most widely known FFP policies are probably UEFA’s. These pertain to the licensing system for teams who wish to take part in European club competitions.

The Premier League has a number of financial rules in place, including requirements for clubs to pay transfer fees, salaries and tax bills on time. They must also submit accounts annually, and disclose payments made to agents. You can read these regulations in full in the Premier League Handbook, primarily Section E: Club Finances.

Outside of these obligations it is up to individual clubs, who all have their own directors and senior executives, to make decisions over how they spend their income.

The Owners’ and Directors’ Test outlines requirements that would prohibit an individual from becoming an owner or director of a club. These include criminal convictions for a wide range of offences, a ban by a sporting or professional body, or breaches of certain key football regulations, such as match-fixing.

The test is applied to prospective owners and directors, who are then subject to a review on a seasonal basis. You can read the criteria of the Test in full at Section F of the Premier League Handbook.

If you have any queries and would like to get in touch, please contact info@premierleague.com.