Israeli Premier League Introduces New Match Timing and Substitution Rules Starting Tomorrow

The 2026/27 Israeli Premier League season officially begins tomorrow with the Super Cup match between Hapoel Be'er Sheva, the league champions, and Maccabi Tel Aviv, the State Cup holders. Ahead of the season opener, Ziv Adler, chairman of the referees' professional committee, revealed in an interview on "5 BaAvir" that several new officiating rules, already implemented during the 2026 World Cup, will take effect in the league starting Thursday.

Adler explained that the responsibility for ball retrievers or cones will be determined by each league management. He welcomed the introduction of several rules designed to increase actual playing time. For example, teams will have a five-second limit to take a throw-in; failure to do so will result in possession switching to the opposing team. This rule also applies to free kicks, which must be taken within five seconds or else the opposing team will receive a corner kick.

Additionally, if a player is injured and treated on the field without the opposing player receiving a card for the foul, the injured player must remain off the field for a full minute of game time. Another new regulation limits substitution time: once a substitution signal is given, the player being replaced must leave the field from the nearest point within 10 seconds. If not, the substitute can only enter during a stoppage after at least one minute has passed, leaving the team temporarily one player short. Adler believes this will encourage players to exit the field quickly.

These changes aim to speed up the game and reduce unnecessary delays, aligning the Israeli league with international standards seen at the World Cup.