The “Mecker rule” was already used during the Euro2024 in Germany. Now the Premier League is also taking up the innovation in its rules for the coming season.
From the coming season, only the captains can discuss with the referees in the English Premier League. England introduces the so-called “Mecker rule”!
For the 2025/26 season, the Premier League also introduces the “Mecker rule”
After the European Championship, the “Mecker rule” was taken over in the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. Also in the Champions League and the Europa League since the 2024/25 season, no player has been allowed to discuss with the referee – otherwise there is the yellow card.
“Collection of communication”
With the introduction of the rule in the European Championship, trust between players and referees should be established again, referees should be mobbed less.
“A decision to explain up to 22 players is impossible for a referee,” said Roberto Rosetti, UEFA managing director for referee, the rule. “This can lead to a collapse of communication, whereby the beautiful game quickly becomes very ugly, what, everyone agreed, bad for the image of football.”
Ifab is a rule as a guide
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), committee for football rules, usually completed tests in March. For the 2025/26 season, the “Mecker rule” is recorded as a guideline for “all competitions that want to use the principle that only the captain approaches the referee in certain situations”.
Premier League referee Michael Oliver was also positive before the European Championship 2024: “In many situations that you can see now, players and fans want to answer and clarify. To have this connection and this dialogue with only one person can only help to ensure this.”