As the brand new Championship season will get began this night, a model new rule might be enforced for the primary time.
Sometimes, within the EFL, crew information has been launched by golf equipment precisely 60 minutes earlier than kick-off in each recreation.
Anticipation is at all times constructed an hour forward of every fixture, as followers await how their crew might be lining up.
However issues have now been switched up for the 2025/26 season.
As an alternative of crew information being launched 60 minutes earlier than kick-off, it’ll now be revealed to the general public 75 minutes beforehand.
This is similar change that was made within the Premier League final summer season, with the EFL now adopting the sooner line-up launch.
It signifies that for a 3pm kick-off, groups might be revealed at 1:45pm.
For 12:30pm begins, line-ups will now come out at 11:15am, for 7:45pm begins, the brand new rule means will probably be a 6:30pm reveal and it’ll now be an 18:45pm announcement for 8pm kick-offs.
League One and League Two started their new marketing campaign final weekend and all groups used this new rule for the primary time.
And it is the Championship’s flip subsequent, with some followers doubtlessly being caught out by the 15-minute change to the foundations.
The primary recreation that may use the brand new crew information rule would be the season opener between Birmingham Metropolis and Ipswich City, which might be completely reside on talkSPORT tonight.
Kick-off at St. Andrews is about for 8pm, which means Birmingham and Ipswich will reveal their line-ups at 6:45pm.
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Why is crew information being introduced earlier?
The EFL has adopted the Premier League’s determination final summer season to maneuver crew releases quarter-hour sooner than ordinary.
A change was made within the top-flight forward of the 2024/25 season to fall extra in step with European competitions.
In Europe, groups additionally abide by the rule of lineups being introduced 75 minutes earlier than kick-off in all of their fixtures.
Because of the Premier League’s change, it is seemingly that the EFL have now moved to match that for related causes.
The highest-flight, Championship, League One and League Two golf equipment will all now be following the identical guidelines.
On high of that, some followers may be impatient and need to discover out their groups as quickly as doable, so the change aids supporters too.
New crew information announcement instances
- 12:30pm kick-offs – groups introduced at 11:15am
- 3pm kick-offs – groups introduced at 1:45pm
- 5:30pm kick-offs – groups introduced at 4:15pm
- 8pm kick-offs – groups introduced at 6:45pm
Championship opening weekend fixtures
Friday, August 8
- Birmingham Metropolis v Ipswich City – 8pm, reside on talkSPORT
Saturday, August 9
- Southampton v Wrexham – 12:30pm, reside on talkSPORT
- Charlton Athletic v Watford – 12:30pm
- Coventry Metropolis v Hull Metropolis – 12:30pm, reside on talkSPORT 2
- Middlesbrough v Swansea Metropolis – 3pm
- Norwich Metropolis v Millwall – 3pm
- Oxford United v Portsmouth – 3pm
- QPR v Preston North Finish – 3pm
- Stoke Metropolis v Derby County – 3pm
- West Brom v Blackburn – 3pm, reside on talkSPORT 2
- Sheffield United v Bristol Metropolis – 5:30pm, reside on talkSPORT 2
Sunday, August 10
- Leicester Metropolis v Sheffield Wednesday, reside on talkSPORT 2
The place will Wrexham end within the Championship this season?