The Premier League and English Football League are maintaining their established protocols for Ramadan, allowing brief match pauses so Muslim players can break their daily fast.
Ramadan begins this week and continues for one month. During this period, observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking between dawn and sunset.
With sunset occurring between approximately 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM GMT in the UK during Ramadan, the policy will primarily affect Saturday’s 5:30 PM and Sunday’s 4:30 PM kickoffs.
Following procedures established in previous years, team captains and match officials will identify natural breaks in play to accommodate Muslim players or officials who need to break their fast.
Teams and referees discuss the need for pauses before matches and agree on approximate timing. These breaks differ from standard drink breaks or tactical timeouts.
Officials will not interrupt active play, instead waiting for natural stoppages during goal kicks, free kicks, or throw-ins.
The Premier League first implemented this accommodation in 2021 during a Leicester City versus Crystal Palace match. Play paused around the 30-minute mark, allowing Leicester’s Wesley Fofana and Palace’s Cheikhou Kouyaté to consume liquids and energy gels.
Fasting during Ramadan represents one of Islam’s five pillars, demonstrating religious devotion through abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours.
Current Premier League players observing Ramadan include Mohamed Salah, William Saliba, Rayan Aït-Nouri, and Amad Diallo.
“In the Premier League, you have freedom to practice your faith. They never act against your beliefs, which is excellent,” former Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré told BBC Sport in 2023.
“I observe the fast every day without missing one. It’s become routine and manageable for me. Training continues as normal during Ramadan, though for away matches we eat later than teammates. The chef prepares our meals separately, ensuring everything mirrors home conditions. We receive halal food, so there are no issues,” Doucouré explained.
In 2022, former Liverpool forward Sadio Mané disclosed that the club adjusted training schedules to support Muslim players throughout Ramadan.
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