News

What’s new for 2023/24: Return of mid-season player break

6 Aug 2023

Matches scheduled for 13 January will be split across that and the following weekend

Ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season starting on 11 August, here are some features you will see for the first time.

Return of mid-season player break

While not strictly new, the mid-season player break is back for 2023/24.

It is the first time we will see it since it was introduced for the 2019/20 season.

This is due to the season schedule returning to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic and the FIFA World Cup 2022, which caused disruption to the football calendar across three consecutive seasons.

What and when is it?

The mid-season player break was agreed in 2018 by the Premier League, The FA and EFL.

It is a two-week break structured to ensure that Premier League matches would still be played every weekend over that period.

Ten Premier League fixtures currently scheduled for Saturday 13 January will be split across that weekend and that of 20-21 January.

To incorporate the break, The FA agreed to move the FA Cup fifth-round matches to midweek, while removing FA Cup fifth-round replays from the calendar, being replaced with extra-time and penalties. It was agreed to help combat the congested fixture calendar and to improve player welfare.

The 10 matches will be split as follows:

Saturday 13 January
12:30 Chelsea v Fulham
17:30 Newcastle v Man City

Sunday 14 January
14:00 Everton v Aston Villa
16:30 Man Utd v Spurs

Monday 15 January
19:45 Burnley v Luton Town

Saturday 20 January
12:30 Arsenal v Crystal Palace
17:30 Brentford v Nott'm Forest

Sunday 21 January
14:00 Sheff Utd v West Ham
16:30 AFC Bournemouth v Liverpool

Monday 22 January
19:45 Brighton v Wolves