The Premier League and Brentford FC have entered into a sanction agreement after the club accepted it had breached the U21 Professional Development League (PDL) Rules in relation to substitutions.
The Rules, which are in line with IFAB’s Laws of the Game, permit a club to make up to five substitutions in a match on a maximum of three occasions (outside of half-time).
During Brentford’s U21 PDL fixture against Hull City FC in August 2025, the club accepts it made four changes across four substitution opportunities (outside of half-time), with the non-compliant substitution having a direct sporting impact on the match.
The club will face an immediate three-point deduction in the U21 PDL in the 2025/26 season and a suspended fine of £5,000.
Click here to read the sanction agreement. As required by Premier League Rules, the sanction agreement has been ratified by three members of the Independent Judicial Panel.
Premier League and Brentford sanction agreement
