Long-standing Premier League rule was BROKEN on opening weekend – but did you notice? | The Sun

THE Premier League broke the 3pm blackout rule on Saturday by airing the end of Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest.

FA rules prohibit matches in England from being shown on TV between 3pm to 5:15pm on Saturdays.

But the end of Arsenal's 2-1 win over Forest was allowed to be shown due to the special circumstances.

The match was the first shown on the rebranded TNT Sports and was due to kick off at 12:30pm.

However the game was delayed by 30 minutes as a problem with the Gunners' digital ticketing system meant thousands of fans were stuck outside the Emirates.

There was still a chance of the match finishing before 3pm but new rules designed to deter time-wasting meant there was significant time added on at the end of both halves.

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The Premier League and EFL have launched a strict approach to cut down on time-wasting and increase the ball-in-play time this season.

As seen in the 2022 World Cup and Women's World Cup taking place in Australia, games are likely to consistently last for more than 100 minutes.

However it is not the first time the Prem has broken the 3pm blackout rule.

Last season Leeds' trip to Manchester City on May 6 was shown live on air on Saturday at 3pm.

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That's because it would have clashed with King Charles' coronation if it was broadcast at the scheduled time of 12:30pm.

Matches were also frequently shown on Saturdays at 3pm during the Covid-19 pandemic for Project Restart.

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