Cardiff City in the Premier League: The major changes to look out for in the 2018-19 season -
Sunday 10th June 2018
Cardiff City's Premier League schedule will be revealed on Thursday as they continue to prepare for life in the top tier for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign.
All will be revealed at 9am, with the 2018-19 season set to get underway on the weekend of August 11-12.
And there are plenty of innovations that are set to come into effect.
Here are the new things you will see in the Premier League next season and beyond.
Transfer window
The summer transfer window is already well underway, but clubs will have to get their skates on to get deals done this time around given that the market closes before the season gets underway, the first time this has happened in the Premier League era.
This year, the window comes to an end at 5pm on Thursday, August 9 whereas in previous campaigns, the market was open throughout August, meaning clubs often played at least three league games before the window was shut.
Clubs can still sell players up until August 31, but the new rules mean they will not be able to complete signings after the August 9 deadline.
The reasoning behind this particular change was to help avoid the disruption of players switching clubs while the season was underway.
In addition to the window closing sooner, clubs will also have to work around the 2018 World Cup which doesn't come to an end until the final on July 15.
Tech on the touchline
Training Ground Guru reports that the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which decides the rules of the game, has announced that “small, hand-held electronic or communication devices” will be allowed in the technical area “if used for coaching/ tactics or player welfare”. This can include items as large as laptops.
It means that Neil Warnock's trusted lieutenants can offer the Yorkshireman additional support with the use of items such as iPads or tablets.
The new rule is described as follows: "The use of any form of electronic equipment by team officials is permitted where it directly relates to player welfare or safety or for tactical/coaching reasons... on small, mobile, hand-held equipment (eg microphone, headphone, ear-piece, mobile/ smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, laptop).
"A team official who uses unauthorised equipment or who behaves in an inappropriate manner as a result of the use of electronic or communication equipment will be dismissed from the technical area."
The rule was passed on April 20 and came into effect on June 1, meaning it comes in time for the World Cup in Russia as well as Cardiff's return to the Premier League.
Neil Warnock, Manager of Cardiff City and Kevin Blackwell
Neil Warnock and his backroom team will be allowed to use small hand-held electronic devices on the touchline next term (Image: Getty Images Europe)
Referees
Warnock has had several gripes and groans at officials - many justifiably so - during his time in the Welsh capital so far.
And there'll be two new regulars added to the Premier League's refereeing roster next season.
Experienced Premier League referees Neil Swarbrick and Mike Jones have both decided to step away from frontline refereeing, meaning two officials have been promoted from Select Group 2 to Select Group 1.
They are Wiltshire referee Simon Hooper and Nottinghamshire official David Coote.
Hooper oversaw Cardiff's home league wins over Burton Albion and Queens Park Rangers last term while he was also the man in the middle when Fulham beat the Bluebirds 4-2 in December.
As for Coote, his only Cardiff game last season came when the Bluebirds defeated Barnsley 1-0 at Oakwell in November.
David Coote was the referee for Cardiff City's 1-0 win over Barnsley in November (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)
VAR
Video Assistant Referees have become a feature of football across the globe of late.
But the Premier League - who initially hoped to roll out the system for the upcoming league campaign - have confirmed that the technology will continue to be tested during the course of the 2018-19 campaign before being fully implemented.
In a statement, they said: “The Clubs agreed that advanced testing will continue to the end of season 2018/19 to make further improvements to the system, especially around communication inside the stadium and for those following at home and around the world.”
In addition to use of the technology in the league, VAR can now be used in next season's Carabao Cup at all fixtures played at a Premier League stadium while it will continue to be used in some FA Cup ties.
The match ball
As is the case every season, the Premier League have confirmed a new ball will be used next term.
The latest Nike innovation will see Premier League stars use the Merlin football, described as the most advanced ball ever to be used in England's top tier.
It consists of just four panels, a world-first, and a far cry from the days where footballs were patched together by more than 30 separate panels.
It's features include "debossed grooves and 3D inks" which improve the ball's feel as well as its aerodynamics.
Very snazzy indeed.
Carabao Cup
It's not just the league that has seen major changes.
It was recently announced that extra time will be scrapped from this season's Carabao Cup in a bid to reduce fatigue suffered by playing an additional 30 minutes in a midweek cup fixture.
It means matches that are level after 90 minutes will go straight to a penalty shootout.
The spot-kicks will be taken in the traditional format following the trial of the ABBA system which meant the first side to take a penalty then faced two kicks from 12 yards before having another go themselves.
As well as the removal of extra time, the EFL also revealed that clubs voted to remove seeding arrangements for rounds one and two of the competition, although the first round will continue to be regionalised into North and South sections.
The EFL Carabao Cup
International fixtures
This doesn't necessarily have a direct impact on the Bluebirds, but it will change the way players and countries approach certain international fixtures.
The first ever UEFA Nations League will take place later this year, with Wales set to battle it out with Republic of Ireland and Denmark in the newly-formed competition.
It comes as part of FIFA's plans to replace "meaningless" friendlies with competitive fixtures, giving greater value for money and entertainment for fans while also giving countries an added incentive to perform to their best.
And what about the future?
Online streaming of games
Football's governing bodies confirmed that from the 2019-20 season onwards, Amazon Prime will broadcast 20 Premier League matches per season live on their website.
It comes after they clinched one of the seven TV packages put on offer, with Sky Sports having four and BT Sport the other two.
The new arrangement will see Amazon Prime live stream all 10 fixtures of two separate rounds of matches per campaign.
Amazon Prime memberships currently cost £79 or £7.99 a month .
Again, this will only have an impact on Cardiff in the 2019-20 season if they secure survival next term.
Winter break
Premier League chiefs announced on Friday that a winter break - or a mid-season player break to give it the official title - will be introduced from the 2019-20 campaign.
The new break will give teams two weeks of rest in February, although fixtures will still be played over this period.
Each weekend during the break will feature five Premier League matches on one weekend and the other five on the following.
Richard Scudamore, Premier League Executive Chairman, said: "We have been discussing the football calendar with the FA and EFL for several months, including ways we can work together to ease fixture congestion, keep the Premier League action going right through the season and provide a mid-season player break."
FA Cup
In addition to the league changes, it has been revealed that FA Cup fifth round replays will be scrapped from the 2019-20 season, with replays being replaced by extra time and penalties.
As part of the new initiative, the FA have agreed that FA Cup fifth round matches - usually played during when the new mid-season break will take place - will take place in midweek.
The FA's chief executive Martin Glenn said: "This is a significant moment for English football and one that we believe will greatly benefit both club and country.
"It's no secret that we have a very congested fixture calendar and over recent years we have been working with the whole game to find a solution."
Broadcast revenue split
This particular change would obviously depend on Cardiff remaining in the Premier League beyond next term.
But it has been announced that there will be a change to the way the league will distribute any future increase in international broadcast revenue from the 2019-20 season onwards.
All international broadcast revenue is currently split equally between the 20 clubs.
But from the 2019-20 campaign, clubs will continue to share current levels of international revenue equally, however, any increase will be distributed based on where they finish in the Premier League.
"Back then the clubs put in place a revenue sharing system that was right for the time and has served the League well, enabling them to invest and improve in all areas," Premier League Executive Chairman Richard Scudamore said.
"This new agreement will continue that trend with a subtle change that further incentivises on-pitch achievement and maintains the Premier League’s position as the most equitable in Europe in terms of sharing central revenues."
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