New guidelines have been brought in to fast-track PSR decisions in an effort to avoid a situation such as Everton’s points deduction being imposed in the season after the club was charged with a breach. The Toffees were found to have breached guidelines by a margin of £20million, resulting in them being docked 10 points this term.
All clubs had to submit their accounts for 2022/23 by December 31 — rather than in March as they had previously — with any breaches and subsequent charges set to be confirmed 14 days later. Any club that is charged will then have a two-week period to respond.
A hearing by an independent commission must then be completed by early April with any appeal process to follow. The change of system is designed to ensure any basic breaches of the regulations are dealt with in time for punishments - such as points deductions - to be confirmed in the same season as the charge is brought.
Nottingham Forest are one of the clubs at risk of receiving a charge after signing over 40 players since earning promotion to the Premier League in May 2022. Chelsea could also be at risk due to their huge spending spree in the transfer market after Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed a £4billion takeover at Stamford Bridge.
However, the sale of a number of homegrown players and use of amortisation when it comes to new signings agreeing to long-term contracts may keep them safe. According to David Ornstein, the Blues believe they have been compliant with the rules.
The Premier League have noted Friday, May 24 as a backstop date for any appeal which comes after the end of the season on Sunday, May 19. This date comes ahead of the league's annual general meeting.
Therefore, there is the possibility of teams who are appealing against potential points deductions completing their season while not knowing their final league position or even what division they may be playing in for the following campaign. Under the current PSR rules, clubs are allowed to lose a maximum of £105million over three seasons, but certain costs can be deducted, such as investment in youth development, infrastructure, community and women's football.
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